


Organized Chaos

by Varikai



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A little plot driven, Angst, Angst and Humor, Be patient, Bendy smut, Dancing, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Humor, I have an outline, I plan on making this last a while, M/M, Multi, My First Fanfic, Other skeleton...things, PTSD Sans, Past Relationship(s), Possessive Sans, Pretty stoked, Reader is passive, Sans and Toriel have a past, Sexy Times, Skeleton Boyfriends, Skeleton Puns, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Soul Sex, Tags Are Hard, Tsunderes, What Have I Done, You cant rush art, contortionist, dont worry though, reader is female, your comments give me life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:42:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 83,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5957470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Varikai/pseuds/Varikai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your life has never been easy. Since the day you were born, you were unwanted. Even still, you've managed to build a life for yourself as a performer, despite staggering odds against you. Odds that still tend to visit in your nightmares...</p><p>Your success catches the eye of a certain famous robot, who is quick to hire you as an act on his tour. You're suddenly engulfed in the world of monsters. It's been about 3 years since they surfaced and integrated (as best they could) into society. Everyone seems to warm up to you instantly, save for one. You don't know what's up with Sans, but whatever. It's not your problem.</p><p>Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fists of Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fanfic on this site. You've all been an inspiration to me so I thought I should try to give back. Sin begets sin. Huehuehue...
> 
> Anyhoo, buckle your seat belt, kid. We're in for a scenic and intense ride. 
> 
> (I am also an artist, so there will be the occasional picture because I am disgusting. Enjoy!)

Deep breath.

Center your core.

You lunge forward and perfectly catch the suspended hoop, sending yourself gliding above the audience in a graceful panoramic starfish pose.

You flip and twist, earning gasps and cheers with every strike, each one more impressive than the last.

As your song draws to its end, you are lowered to the ground as a startling speed.

There are a few screams that are quickly followed by laughter and thunderous applause, as the hoop stops just above ground, your smile glittering just inches from the ground, accompanying an elegant ending tableau.

You bow to the crowd over and over before cartwheeling and flipping off of the high-end circus stage.

 

 

\-------------

 

 

You slip out of your sparkling red leotard and put on a robe. The green room is bustling with the other acts either arguing over god-knows-what-the-fuck-ever or taking a hit of whatever drug was being passed around. You grab some make-up removal wipes and start cleaning the dazzle off of your face with an exhausted sigh.

 

While performing was not only your gift, but your passion, there **_had_** to be a better vendor to dedicate your craft to. The Cirque d'Amour was the most critically acclaimed show, recognized internationally. However, the men who ran it were little more than manipulative assholes. You were pretty sure your variety of modalities was only a partial reason of your casting. Your "sweet lips," "blowjob eyes," and "perfect feet" might have had some influence as well, according to frustrating rumors that flew around the cast.  


"Hey, kitten." said a deep voice behind you.  
_  
_

_God, he's like the demon who comes when you call._  


You roll your eyes and continue to remove pins from your hair, eyes fixed on your own reflection. Maybe if you are quiet, he'll go away.  
Jeb Cesar, the producer of Cirque d'Amour, stood behind you while packing a box of cigarettes. He notices your apathy and smirks.  


"Aw, come on, sweetie, don't be like that. You did fantastic tonight. I just thought I might come here to tell you the good news..." he said, leaning onto the vanity and blocking your view of yourself.

 

You raise a brow at him with a _"Really...?"_ expression and cross your arms, leaning back into your chair. He grins and raises a fresh cigarette to his lips.  


"A while back when you requested a raise, I felt like you were still too green for the payoff." he said through half-clenched lips, patting his sides for a lighter. "Well, good news, cupcake. After a few new statistic reviews, the crowd has really taken to you. Only a year and a half into this gig and you've already got a fan club. Pretty impressive, baby. I've decided to give you a bonus."  


Your eyes narrowed. The last time you had a discussion like this it ended in a white flash, a right hook to his jaw, and your job being compromised... They only kept you around because of the vast number of acrobatic acts you could do. That and Cesar isn't exactly one to give up his toys easily. You stood up and huffed, walking towards your locker to get your clothes.  


"That's not a _raise_ , Cesar, that's a _bonus_. They're not the same thing." You stated flatly, twisting the locker knob.  


"Well, I mean..." He sighed, shifting off of the desk and taking a step towards you. "I _could_ make it a raise. _If you **earn** it._ "  


You dropped the lock, too frustrated to focus, and turned to face him with the most icy leer you could muster. He waggled his eyebrows and tongued his cigarette to the other side of his mouth with a smile. Disgusted, you scoffed and managed to get the last number correct, opening your locker and grabbing your clothes and backpack. As you turned back around he was inches from you, looking down with a smug smile.  


_Ugh, he was like an uglier Mel Gibson..._  


He reached out and tucked your hair behind your ear. You didn't even flinch anymore. He tries something like this at least once a month. You figured it was in your best interest to keep the peace by letting him get the occasional rise out of you, in exchange for his harassment rarely escalating beyond banter and the occasional ass-grabbing. Though... he _was_ being a little more aggressive than usual today...  


"You really are a doll." he chuckled. "Bite sized even." he stood straighter, making sure you knew you were a measly 5'4" to his broad 5'11" build.  


"I'll just take the bonus." you said through an icy grin. You turned to walk away, but Cesar shifted, slamming his arm against the wall between you and the doorway.   


"You got a light?" he growled, looking you up and down. You rolled your eyes and dug in your backpack for a lighter. You pulled it out and lit it, lifting it to his cigarette. He grabbed your hand to steady it. The mere contact was almost enough to make you audibly gag. He took a drag and smiled as he blew the smoke in your face. Refusing to give him the satisfaction, you simply smiled. Unsatisfied, he flipped the filter toward you.  


"Take a drag." he softly commanded. Pleasant visions of digging the cherry sizzling into his eye ran through your mind before you hesitantly put the tip against your lips, trying not to feel the dampness he left behind. _Just... fucking .....ew..._  
He grinned.  


"Atta girl." He purred, taking it back. You blew the smoke to the side and ducked under his arm. "Be back before curfew, kitten!" he laughed, eyes following you out of the room.  


"Fuck off, Cesar." you cooed back at him.  
  
  
\---------------------------------  
  
  
In the trailer that you shared with 3 other female cast members, you threw your bag onto your bunk and slammed the door behind you. The other girls were probably out getting plastered already, which was fine because you needed a minute to recover from that bullshit. It's not like worse hasn't happened to you before. This business is a dangerous one for a girl with no home to run back to. That never stopped you, though. What happens, happens and nothing worth having ever comes easy. You'd find a better gig soon enough. You hoped.  
  
You slipped out of your robe and pulled on some skinny jeans and a One Piece t-shirt. You checked your face in the mirror for any make-up you might have missed. There was still a little but of eye-liner under your _right blue eye_ , but your _left dark-brown eye_ looked clean. You grabbed another wipe and admired your birth defect as you evened out the residue. Throwing your long hair back into a ponytail, you combed through your roots. Your natural black was starting to show under the deep red. It was time for a new color anyway. You usually changed hair color every few months or so. Eh, why wait? Tonight's as good a night as any.   
You laced up some chucks, grabbed your pack, and headed into the city.

 

 

The Circus was currently touring in Las Vegas, one of the loudest cities you've ever been to. Everywhere you turn someone was either fighting, crying, laughing, or fucking. It was easy to tune out once you put your headphones on and let Daft Punk serenade your journey to the beauty supply store. You were excited to see what they would have in stock for a town so heavily dependent on entertainment. Probably massive varieties of wigs and make-up palates that were ridiculous.

As you walked to towards the automatic doors, a man shoved you with his shoulder. Finding your footing, you looked back in a flush.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I was in my own head." you said.  
  
The man said nothing and smiled, turning and continuing down the sidewalk.

_Weird..._

_..... eh, whatever._

 

You were sure you'd died and gone to heaven. The store was the size of a small warehouse and full of high-end cosmetic treasures. Happy that tonight's mishaps started fading from your mind, you bolted for the "Hair Care" aisle. It was like christmas. There were at least 5 shades of every color imaginable. You pondered which direction to take, admittedly a tad overwhelmed by your cornucopia of choices.

A frustrated groan startled you. You turned and your eyes widened.

_It was a monster! An actual monster! You'd never seen one this up close before!_

You almost felt star struck. Shaking yourself out of it and remembering she has feelings just like you, you took a step towards the tall.... sea creature? mermaid? Fish... girl? 

"You sound lost." you said casually. The Fish Girl turned around with a scowl. Her look softened when she saw your shirt.

 

"Oh.. My... GOD!" she said, broadening her stance. You smiled nervously.

_What'd you do...?_

_" **I.....fucking....LOVE. ONE. PIECE!!!"**_ she shouted with exaggerated physical expression. Pleasantly surprised by this, you looked down at your shirt and chuckled.

"Hell yeah, dude. Shit's legit!" You whipped your backpack around to show her a One Piece button you had on the front pockets, along with other buttons of animes and shows you liked, and some from the many cities you've been to. The Fish Girl grabbed your pack from you absolutely enthralled. She realized how excited she was and cleared her throat, handing you back your pack with a gruff chuckle.  
  
"You know what, pipsqueak, you're alright. Name's Undyne." She held out her hand. You raised a brow at the nick-name, but smiled and took her hand. Her fingers were much smoother than they looked. A detail quickly smothered by the force of her grip. Well, two could play this game.  
  
"I'm ________. But around here it's Scarlet."  
  
You clenched your grip right back at her. She wore a bright smile, impressed. She threw her head back and laughed.

"It's not every day I go out feeling shitty and a human, of all things, is the one to turn it around!"

"Glad I could be of service." you said, with a graceful bow.  
  
"Well, Scarlet, you're abso-fuckin-lutely right. I'm lost as hell." she admitted, looking back at the wall of cosmetics behind her begrudgingly. 

"What exactly are you here for?"

"I mean, fuck if I know. My friend needs 'fake lashes' but didn't bother to tell me what kind. I figured it would be an in-and-out trip, but I should have known. Nothing is ever easy when it comes to that prick." she sighed.  
  
"Well, yeah, there are a few dozen different ones. What color is their costume?" you said, looking at the choices.

"Pink. Like bright, vibrant, **pay-attention-to-me-or-I'll-die _PINK_**." She smiled, pleased with her insult. You laughed and picked a pair of metallic pink lashes, a pair of pink feather lashes, and a pair with a pink tint along the edges. 

"These should cover the major bases. I know you were hoping to only buy one pair, but trust me. As a professional you ALWAYS need back up when serving a diva."

Undyne snorted and took them. 

"Hey, if it gets him to shut up, its worth the money. The only reason I'm even here is because my girlfriend is busy babysitting."

"The worst." you sarcastically smiled. You grabbed the dye you decided on and both of you walked up to the check-out. After paying you both stopped just outside of the door.  
  
"Well, thanks for the help, pipsqueak! I would have been in there for hours. Probably would have burned that place to the ground."  
  
"Problem solved! No need to **_lash_** out, now!" you said, semi-giggling at your own stupid pun. Undyne's expression shifted from one of disgust to one of eerie enthusiasm in seconds, but absent of any laughter. You smiled nervously again. "....What?"

"Ah, nothing. You just remind me of someone." She said, seeming particularly interested in your differently colored eyes. You shifted your gaze around with nervous laughter for a moment before she held out her hand again. Eye-contact made you wildly uncomfortable.  
"Well, see ya, punk."

This time you were ready. Instead of grabbing her hand in the traditional sense, you linked her thumb with yours and flexed your arm to meet her resistance in a masculine pact. As if she knew, she met the resistance and let out a satisfied grunt. You both let go, laughing.

"Have a good night! It was nice to meet you, Undyne!" you waved, shifting to put your headphones back on.  
  
"Later!" she turned and started walking away.

 

 

\------------------------------------------------

 

As you walked down the street a few blocks, you suddenly felt a presence behind you. You moved your head to shift your head phones off of your ears a bit and stopped walking for a second, pretending to check your pocket. You heard the scraping of shoes stop behind you.

_Yup. Definitely being followed. Well, this night **was** getting better. _

Resuming your pace, you tried to look for a good place to lead this guy into. He had no idea who he was messing with. Sure, there was the chance of an ambush, but it's always a 50/50 shot. This wasn't your first rodeo. You saw an opportunity to duck into an alley and ran, pulling your headphones off. You looked behind you to confirm that the chase was on and oddly, he wasn't there.   
You slammed into something and staggered backward a bit before your arm was suddenly in a vice grip. 

The man who shoved you before was staring you down. He pulled out a knife and pressed the edge to your collar.

"Shhh... easy. Eeeasy..." he whispered, backing you into the wall. You put on a wide-eyed expression, while checking your surroundings. The guy who was following you appeared from around the corner with a chortle. Well, looks like you lost the bet with yourself. Figures, in Vegas.

"She sure tried to pull somethin' fancy." said the follower.

"Shut up." the man scowled, "Listen, little hooker. I'm havin' a bad night. You can either make it better for me by givin' me money..." his knife point poked into the fabric of your shirt, snagging the fabric on the tip. "...or givin' me tail." he said, his breath reeked of cheap vodka.

 _Oh no he did **NOT** just threaten to cut your One Piece shirt!_  

"Hey... come on, dude. I'm just a tourist and I'm just as broke as you!" you said as sweetly as you could. All you needed was a distraction, or some opportunity to make it so---  
  


 

 

 **"HEY ASSHOLES!!"** shouted a familiar gruff voice.

Undyne stood at the alley's entrance, arms crossed but grinning from ear to ear.

The men both looked in drunken confusion for a moment. 

_Aaaand there it is. Thanks, Undyne!_

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY FRIE-" She started to bellow, when you suddenly took advantage of the moment. You slid down the wall and between the man's legs, laying with your back flat on the ground, you kicked upward with all of the force you could muster. The man launched backward into the follower, screaming and clutching his balls that had just been upward Sparta-kicked into oblivion.  
"...friend." Undyne stammered, a bit shocked.

You rolled back and jumped to your feet with ease. Approaching the whining bundle of thieves, you put your hands in your pockets.

"Wanna go for round two, fuckwads?" you huffed. The man with the knife tried to stand back up. You quickly turned and side kicked him in the face. He fell, out cold into the follower's lap and your glare met his. "Didn't think so." you growled.

You turned to Undyne, who was beaming as if she'd just seen an angel. You blushed a little bit and walked towards her. 

"Sorry about that." you mumbled.

"That. was. so. AWESOME." She said with restrained joy. Her eyes were fixed on you. You began to feel uncomfortable again when suddenly her gaze flicked behind you. 

The follower picked up the man's knife and shoved his unconscious body off, preparing to lunge at you. Undyne, still grinning, shoved you aside and sprinted towards him. In one fell swoop she grabbed the man by the waist and did the most pristine suplex you'd ever seen. Your jaw fell open a bit as she stood up.  
  
"Thank god!" she said, rotating her shoulder and stretching. "I was scared you were gonna have all the fun." she smiled and kicked the unconscious follower.

Coming back to the moment, you shook your head. 

"Yeah! Holy shit! Thanks! That was close." you sighed.

"I have a feeling you could have handled it." she laughed, giving you a hearty pat on your back. "But, hey, let me walk you back to wherever you're going. You know, in case they have any friends."

That was a smart idea. You nodded and started back on your way home. 

 

\------------------------------------------------

 

You looked at the locked gate to your darkened lot and sighed. 

"Fuck... its past my curfew." you said, looking at your phone. There were a few missed calls and texts from coworkers and Cesar but you honestly didn't care that much at this point.

"You work for the circus? That's pretty badass. What do you do?" said Undyne, intrigued.

"Uh... Lots of stuff. Mainly dancing and acrobatic stuff. I'm pretty slick with fire too." you said, half-hazardly reading some of the texts. 

\--

**Cesar: 11:29p: It's getting close to curfew, kitten. Don't make me rethink your bonus.**

**\--**

**Alisha (SoundTech): 11:50p: Hey u Cesar is asking for u. r u ok?**

**\--**

**Britt (Roomie): 11:55p: You left the door unlocked, jerk. hope u get mugged**

**\--**

**Cesar: 12:34a: Well, I'm locking up. I don't pay you to fuck around. Be in my office tomorrow morning.**

\--

 

You groan and shove the phone in your pocket.

"Hey, if you need a place to stay, my hotel's not far from here." Undyne offered, noticing your declining mood.

"Eh, nah. Thanks though. I can get in. Just gonna be hell tomorrow." you sigh.

"Maybe you should play hookie and just hang out with us instead." she suggested, lightly punching your arm.

"Actually..." you said, realizing something. You dug into your backpack and pulled out 3 VIP tickets. "Do you wanna come to my show tomorrow? You said you had a kid with you guys so it might be something fun to do. You'll sit in the Suites and everything!"

Undyne looked a little flustered, "Are you sure you wont get in trouble for giving me these?"

"I mean I usually just sell them off. We get a few every time we switch towns."

"No, I mean..." She said, looking down. "inviting monsters. We're here because the guy I was buying shit for is meeting with some of his stylists. It's supposed to be a low-key thing since monsters aren't really a popular concept in the states."

"...The states?" you said, quizzically. "Where are you guys from?"

"Mount Ebbot. Japan." she looked at you as if everyone should know that.

You knew Monsters had 'come out of the cave' so-to-speak years ago, but honestly it was something you didn't pay a lot of attention to. Your life was complicated enough as is was without worrying about other people's problems on the news. However, every time you caught the occasional flash story about anti-monster campaigns and riots, you couldn't help but relate to them. You knew what it felt like to be completely unwanted. 

And with all of that introspection the only response you decided to utter was:

 

"Then why aren't you speaking with a Japanese accent?" Nice one.

 

Undyne threw her head back and laughed. She had to catch herself on her knees.

 

"You know what? You're my second favorite human I've ever met!" she laughed, trying to catch her breath.  
"I can speak Japanese, English, and French. I went through a fuck-ton of anime in the underground. With all that time, language is easy. You get tired watching the same dialogue, so hey, might as well watch it in a different language. Spice things up. Ya know?"

 

Dumbfounded, you cocked your head to the side. You guessed that's one way to do it. Realizing you were staring, you shook your head and went back to the original subject.

"Th-That's amazing!" you stammered. "But yeah, so, yeah. Tomorrow. Will you come?"

"You bet your ass, pipsqueak! On one condition."

Condition...?

"You have to promise to text me when you get to bed so I know you're safe." she said, reaching her hand out for my phone. The request was so obvious yet so random you just sort of... let her take it. She put her info in and handed it back.

"Deal." you said, sliding it back into your pocket. "Tomorrow, then."

"Yeah! Can't wait! I'm gonna bring my girl and everything. Are you sure you can get back in? Do you have a key?" she said crossing her arms.

"Nah." You smiled. "I know a short-cut." you said winking at her. She gave you an eerie smile again.

 

With that you shuffled your headphones back on and walked towards a shaded spot at the end of the fence that sat at the base of a balloon stand. You climbed it with agile speed and perched on top of the roof of the stand, waving to Undyne, who seemed to laugh again and wave back. When she turned to walk down the street you jumped down and headed through the lot to your trailer. 

It was unlocked, ironically enough, and you took off your headphones only to hear monstrous snoring coming from your room mates. You put down your pack and pulled out your phone.

\--

**To Undyne: 12:59a: Made it. See you tomorrow!**

\--

You didn't wait for a response, as you threw an arm over your eyes, dreading what Cesar would possibly say tomorrow. 

 

 

 

_Whatever. Whatever happens happens. It was still a good night._

 


	2. Give 'Em the Ol' Razzle Dazzle!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so i'm trying to get a new chapter out every day (every other day at the latest). I just really like taking my time to give you guys really quality content. Nothing but the best for my lovelies!
> 
> Please feel free to comment! I love the feedback.

That was the first dreamless sleep you've had in a while and it was amazing. Even though you had to wake up at 5 am for call time, you felt completely rested.

You headed to the showers and started freshening up for the day. Grabbing your hair-coloring kit, you went ahead and put the primer in your hair to strip it of any and all color. A few rinses and reapplications and your hair was nearly stark white and ready for your new color. You checked the mirror, smiling at the absence of your roots, when suddenly you heard someone shout your name. You jumped and dropped the bowl of mixed dye onto the floor, earning a very loud FUCK!!

"Dude!!" one of your room mates shouted, standing back from the bright splatter. She groaned disgusted as you looked up at her with a dark glare. "What the hell are you doing?" she continued to scold.

"I..." you took a deep breath and relaxed your fists. "am taking. a shower. People tend to do that when they wake up."

"Well, Cesar's been looking for you since last night. He wont stop bugging everyone. So, when you're done at the spa here, could you please go take care of it? I'm sick of being asked about you like I'm your fucking mom."

Her attitude wasn't making the $45.00 expense you were wiping off of the floor any easier to get over. You sighed and looked back up with a solemn expression.

"I'll be out in a minute. If he asks bugs you again, make something up. I don't care." you growled, managing to get most of it off of the tiles, save for the cement between them. Oh well, it could have been worse. Your room mate scoffed and left. You stood back up and inspected yourself in the mirror. You were really looking forward to that shade of blue, but white would have to do until you could make it back to that shop. You cringed a little at the thought of those creeps hanging around in hopes of seeing you again. Maybe you'd try and find a different place.

You put on a t-shirt and yoga shorts and headed to the floor to warm up. 

If Cesar wanted to see you so bad, he would have to find you first.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your focus was solid.

You breathing was steady.

You climbed the thick, long ribbons of fabric, wrapping your thighs tightly around them and suspending yourself high above everyone else.

You arched your back until your head gently rested against your toes, spinning ever so slightly like a music box. 

Your back relaxed and you fell forward, using the momentum to flip into another dazzling spectacle. 

This was your zen. This was your happy place. This was yo-

"_________!!"

... your boss.

Interesting. He didn't use your actual name unless something was up. You swung upside down, still several feel above Cesar, but looking down on him.

"I'm in the middle of warming up. I was going to see you after." you said, crossing your arms.

"Absolutely not. Be in my office in ten minutes." he said sternly and walked off. His tone had you a little worried, but it wasn't the first time you'd missed curfew. Other cast members would come in hung over or late the next day and get off scott free. You shrugged off the worry and slid down the fabric, catching the edge with your hands and lowering backwards onto the floor. Rolling your neck, you took a deep breath, and headed towards Cesar's office.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

You tapped the arm of the wooden chair while Cesar listened intently to whoever was on the phone with him. Leaning against your hand, you let out a sigh. The conversation lasted 15 minutes since you came in. The moment you were wishing you had your phone on you, you heard him agree to something hesitantly and hang up. Whatever it was seemed to really bother him.

He took a minute to rub his temples and mutter something to himself before reclining in his chair and looking at you. He just stared for a minute, his expression a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

Okay, you were really confused now.

"What's the problem?" you asked, eyes darting around awkwardly.

"Well strictly speaking, it's not really a problem." he said, lacing his fingers and leaning forward onto his desk. "I'm personally irritated beyond belief, but I'm willing to look past that for now because of our apparent special guest today."

Your stomach dropped. Did he somehow find out about you inviting Undyne? Was he anti-monster? You shrugged and leaned forward onto your knees to mimic him.

"Special, huh? Who? There are a few special people in this town, so you might have to be more specific."

"Adjust the attitude, because I'm not in the mood for games." he spat. "Apparently Mettaton is attending the show today. His agent just called and reserved every VIP suite we have for his staff and camera crew."

You straightened up in your chair. Mettaton!? THE Mettaton??  
Mettaton was a gigantic celebrity that was known by anyone and everyone. He exploded in Japan just after the Monsters surfaced and it was only a matter of time before his face was everywhere. Dozens of hit T.V. shows, movies, and platinum albums later, he was internationally renowned. Oprah was B-List compared to this guy. Your heart fluttered a bit at the thought of performing for someone who might really appreciate your passion. You grinned. 

"What does that have to do with me?" you said casually. You were still genuinely confused, but this news was just too good to stifle.

"You were mentioned. By name." he grumbled. "As a 'friend of his.'"

Your stomach did a back-flip.

"Wh...What?" you said, sitting up straighter. "How is that possible...?" you whispered to yourself.

"I don't know, kid. You tell me." he said, leaning back into his chair, arms up in the air. "I want to know what exactly happened last night that made you break curfew. Again." he folded his hands behind his head, looking at you with an unforgiving scowl.

You picked at your fingers a bit and tried to form a response. Sure, Undyne was a Monster, but it would be really presumptuous to think that meant she must know the most famous Monster out there. This was insane. Then again, that would explain why she was buying those lashes despite not know what she was doing. Now that you thought hard about it, she did mention something about her friend meeting a... stylist? Running a hand up your forehead you started genuinely laughing. Cesar frowned.

"Let me into your world, because I'm missing the joke here." he growled. Taking a breath, you composed yourself and looked at him with a bright smile.

"I went out to get some new color," you said gesturing to your white hair, " and while I was there I made a new friend."

"A monster?" Cesar crossed his arms.

"Yeah. I just helped her pick something out. Just trying to be nice. We shared small talk and she walked me back. I just lost track of time, I guess."

"Uh-huh..." he furrowed his brow, knowing you weren't telling him everything, but he was becoming pressed for time. You felt his suspicion and shrugged.

"I invited her to the show. Gave her my comp passes. She said she was gonna bring a friend. I had no idea she had friends in high places." you said with a smirk. You didn't plan a single bit of this, but seeing Jeb Cesar upset was absolutely delicious. If you were going to be penalized he would have started the conversation with your punishment and followed it up with why. His hands were clearly tied somehow and, while you didn't know what the hell was about to happen, this was a rare moment. Might as well enjoy it. Twitching a bit at the sight of your smug expression, he stood up and chuckled.

"Alright, kitten. I guess I should be happy for you. This is such a rare opportunity, after all." he grinned. Your smirk faltered a bit at his changing tone, but you tried to remain confident. "So, since your 'friends' are obviously here to see you, I guess we should break out the big guns, huh cupcake?" He grabbed his phone and began texting. Okay now you were getting worried. You stood up.

"Cesar you-"

"Oh no, kitten! You're clearly the crown jewel of this operation. You're the reason we have motherfucking  _METTATON_  coming to survey our humble little set up today, so lets go ahead and put you on the front lines!"

_Shit..._

"So, instead of 2 acts today, we'll go ahead and give you 4!" he said with a menacing grin, continuing to text away.

"Cesar! This is really not worth whatever kick you're getting out of it! It's not fair to the Tech team to have to re-render an entire show just because you have some fucking grudge!!" you slammed your hands on his desk.

"They already know how to sync your acts. They'll just have to improvise the one we haven't debuted yet. But you're worthy of the spotlight, right? There will still be an act between each one to give you some time to change and eat or whatever. That's not gonna wear you out too much, is it? You're invincible right? Or maybe you're the most replaceable piece of ass I've ever seen."

"This isn't funny!!" you protested. You really gave 100 percent with each performance. Doing that many in a row was not only exhausting, it was dangerous. If your focus wasn't sharp, you risked major injuries. This was just sadistic! "If you want to fire me, then just fucking do it! You don't have to try and embarrass me in the process! Be a professional, god dammit!!"

"Consider this my way of finding out how badly you want to keep this job. Hell, I'll give you a choice. You can stick to the new set list I just jotted down, or you can give me what you know I want and I'll let you off the hook. No changes." he leaned in close to you, his voice low. "Or you can walk out the door right now."

You straightened up and your hands fell to your sides. This was a new low for him. You were so full of white hot rage you were fighting the urge to laugh in his face. You were by no means the only girl Cesar harassed, but you were the only one who pushed back as hard as you did. But... losing your job and being stranded in Vegas wasn't something you were that enthusiastic about either. There was no getting out of this without getting burned. You could suck it up and let him have his fun, but there was little to no chance he'd end up leaving you alone as a result. Even if you refused and the entire show was suddenly shifted last minute to center around you, everyone would assume you must have fucked him anyway. Something snapped in your head and you straightened your posture.

"Fine." you said, meeting his eyes with a glare that made his spine crawl a bit.

"Fine, what?" he raised a brow.

"You want a show? I'll give you a fucking show. I'll be in make-up." you turned out of the office and slammed the door behind you so hard, you heard something fall and break.

Storming through the green room, you heard all sorts of whispers and giggling. 

 _Fuck it. Fuck all of it_.

You were just shoved into what could be the performance of your life.   
Everyone wanted to see you fail, but you would make them regret it. You grabbed your first costume, a white and gold cat-suit and zipped it up. Aggressively tucking your hair into the matching cap, your eyes shot daggers at anyone who dared look at you.  
You grabbed the make-up palates and sat in front of the mirror, looking into your reflection with a fire you'd never felt before.

**_DETERMINATION._ **  
  


 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

The audience hummed like a soothing white noise to you as you stood in place, waiting for your cue to go out. You peeked around the corner of the entrance and looked toward the suite that Undyne should be in. You didn't see her, but there were definitely monsters in there. A goat woman, a larger goat man, and... was that a human kid? You couldn't quite see from here. Scanning the rest of the suites you finally spotted Undyne's bright red hair in the Deluxe Box. She sat next to a yellow lizard woman, smiling at her fondly. That must be her girlfriend. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation when suddenly the crowd started cheering as Mettaton appeared behind them and waved, blowing kisses all around

 

 _Well, looks like they really are friends._  you thought as he took a seat between the monster lovers, earning a frown from both of them. 

 

You snapped back into focus as the band started playing the overture.

 

_Deep breath. Big smile. Give em hell._

 

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer began as lights rotated around the audience. "PLEASE GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO THE LOVELY MISS SCARLET STARLET!!"

 

_Here we go._

 

Your first act was a flow routine with 4 hoops you would gradually end up using at once in a kaleidoscope of symmetrical intrigue. While it's not the most physically trying, it still takes an obscene amount of coordination and balance. You finished it without a hitch, earning a rewarding cheer from your public. 

 

_So far so good._

 

You had twenty minutes to prepare for the next while a clown skit went on. Stripping and throwing on your next ensemble you heard your cast mates scoffing around you, poorly concealing their opinions.   
"More like "Scarlet Harlot..." you managed to make out.

 

_Shrug it off. You don't have time for that._

 

Second act was aerial silk suspension while rotating over the audience. Your costume resembled something like a siren, with a very nautical undertone and a long green wig. You hoped Undyne would like it, or at least find it amusing. It reminded you of her. You flew over the audience in various poses, gripping and gliding along the fabric in enchanting transitions. 

 

_Okay. Starting to get a little tired, but nothing you can't handle._

 

As you prepared for your next act, you could feel more eyes on you as you changed. The tension in the air was somewhat thicker. It was a little harder to ignore, but you managed. Adorning yourself with a black wig, shimmering bra and floor-length skirt, you ran back to your post.

 

Third act was a Moroccan Fire dance with fire fans. Taking extra caution to keep a solid focus despite your fatigue, you painted an elaborate picture with your flames and emotion. By the end of it, you smiled, but your chest was noticeably heaving. You kept your composure until you made it backstage and leaned against the wall.

 

_No. You're good. You're solid. You can do this. Giving up is not an option._

 

Your body protested, thighs trembling and knees screaming, but you shoved yourself off of the wall and made your way back to your final costume change. You wore your signature red leotard and black gloves that laced up the sides with thigh-high socks that matched. You grabbed a red wig and fastened it.

 

 

 

_Final act. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Get through this and you can shove it down Cesar's throat with your foot._

 

 

You walked onto the stage, head held high. Several tall poles were erected in a circle with small platforms at the tops. 

The music started and you danced around each pole, gripping and spinning on each for a moment. You climbed up one of them and did a pose at the top, balancing on nothing but your fingertips. 

Suddenly the lights went out and the music stopped. You almost lost your balance but managed to crouch at the top of the pole. Was Cesar trying to fuck with you?

 

 

" **I must say...!"** said a familiar sultry voice over the loud speaker. " **Miss Scarlet Starlet is quite worthy of her title. However...** "  
The lights suddenly came back on, but every one of them had a pink filter. They all centered focus on the pole adjacent to you, where Mettaton now stood, dry ice fumes swirling around him.   
**"...she's beginning to make me jealous."**

The crowd. went. _BANANAS_.

His theme song started blaring through the speakers. You looked up at the sound box and smirked at the tech monitors arguing and looking positively distraught. Mettaton, being a magic sentient robot, would probably have no problem hacking into the second rate rigging system Cirque d'Amour possessed. 

" **Darling?** " Mettaton cooed, your attention snapping back towards him as some lights centered on you as well. " **My eyes are up here!** "

The audience laughed and cheered. You found your balance and stood up straight. You were a little wary. Should you be concerned about this?   
Playing along, you bowed before him and gestured toward him to the audience, encouraging more enthusiasm, which was met. 

" **I figured we might kick this up a notch. That is... if you can handle it.** " he challenged. You were now a little concerned at what he could possibly have in mind. You've seen the dangerous games he would play on his shows. The monsters at least had the aid of magic to help with some of the challenges. Though, you'd be lying if you said you weren't invigorated by it all.

You playfully did a stationary cartwheel on your post, fake yawning once you stood back up. Mettaton's grin widened as he arched a brow. 

" **Are you ready for a SHOW**?" he called out melodically. The crowd wailed and the music began to pick up in pace. 

 

Mettaton's eye flashed a bright pink when suddenly four objects materialized around him and rocketed towards you!

You barely had a moment to think before you dropped backward and dodged one, then jumped from pole to pole to dodge the others. 

 _What the actual fuck is happening right now?_ you thought for a moment before four more launched themselves at you, exploding when they made contact with whatever surface they ended up hitting. You continued to jump and dodge, moving up and down the poles and across the platforms as gracefully as you possibly could. After a few, you started to realize a rhythm to them. You were able to strike the occasional pose between excursions, making the audience go wild. Mettaton's laugher rang out.

 **"Impressive!"** he mused, continuing to fire off rockets.  You felt the fatigue suddenly grip you as your calf cramped up, throwing off your footing and allowing one of the rockets to hit you square in the temple. 

You fell to the ground in the center of the circle of poles, catching yourself in an off-center summersault. Mettaton was probably the only one who recognized the sloppy form as a sign of something wrong. 

 **"Ooohh! That HAD to hurt!"** he laughed. You stood and quickly readjusted into a confident pose, ripping your torched wig off and letting your hair fall free. Mettaton jumped down and landed a few feet away from you in a dramatic pose. **"Finally, we get to see the real you! And. She's. BEAUTIFUL~!"**

Your smile was one of confused rage, as you raised your arms trying to make this appear as rehearsed as possible. Before you fully turned back to him, you caught sight of something heading towards you in your peripheral vision and arched backward, allowing the drop kick Mettaton threw to move past you.

_Okay, is he actually TRYING to kill you???_

The new game was dodging his punches and kicks to the tempo of the music. The audience clapped in rhythm while you hastily tried to keep up.  
Then you saw an opening. Without warning, you dropped and did a sweep kick, knocking Mettaton off balance and sending him falling to the ground. The crowd gasped as you pivoted off of your wrists, did a back-handspring, and landed with your feet on either side of his horizontal body, leaning over him triumphantly, hands on your hips. There was a moment of silence.

Mettaton looked up at you with genuine surprise only for a moment before he grinned menacingly. He seemed to be looking at your eyes, specifically.

"Undyne was right." He said softly. Your smile faded a little and you wavered a bit, a little weirded out, but held out a hand to help him up. He took it and you both stood, holding your hands up and bowing to the roaring crowd. 

" **Oh, what fun!"** he chirped." **I always love a good plot twist! Isn't she incredible, ladies and gentlemen?** "

You smiled and waved, your knees starting to noticeably tremble and breathing starting to hitch.

**"Thank you for coming tonight! You're all stars! every one of you! Bye bye now~!"**

 

 

 

**\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

 

 

 

 

You sat in the green room desperately trying to catch your breath. Your head thudded against the vanity top which you closed your eyes and tried to calm down. 

_You did it. Holy shit. You actually did it and then some._

You smiled through your huffs and rested your hands on the back of your head.

 

"I hope I didn't wear you out too much, Darling." Mettaton hummed behind you. You sat up and saw him, Undyne, her girlfriend, the goat people, and the child from earlier all crowded in the doorway. You fidgeted and stood up straight, trying to compose yourself. 

"O-Oh no! Not at all! I haven't had a work-out like that in years." you joked. Mettaton's arms extended and lifted you off of the ground, placing you in the center of the room. He began circling you, looking you up and down.  
"Umm.." You looked up at Undyne for some sort of answer. She was wearing a broad, smug smile as if she knew something you didn't. Her girlfriend and the goat woman giggled to themselves while watching this. You gulped and looked back at Mettaton, who seemed to have pulled up a holographic calculator in front of his face that was scanning you, presenting all sorts of numbers.

"I want you to answer me honestly. Do you like your current job?" Mettaton stated plainly. 

Before you could answer Cesar shoved past Undyne and her girlfriend, earning an audible growl from her.

"What the hell is going on?" he fumed. "You come into my house, take over my show and now you're trying to steal my talent? Who the fuck do you think you are!?"

Undyne held Cesar back as Mettaton cupped your face, turning your attention back to him.

"Answer the question, Darling." he said cheerily. 

"I appreciate the opportunity it's given me." You stated. Cesar seemed to grin and relax a little.  
"That being said," you continued. "I feel as though I have out-grown it. It's given me as much as it can and I'm more than ready for my next challenge."

Mettaton's delight matched Cesar's disgust. 

"Spoken like a true professional." Mettaton sighed with fondness. "Miss Scarlet, my studio is based out of Tokyo. I'd be honored and obliged if you would contribute to my humble ensemble."

"YES." you said, almost a little too loud. Cesar struggled against Undyne.

"You have a contract, kid! You can't just walk out on me!" Cesar shouted. You straighten up and stood right in front of him.

"Actually. If you recall our conversation before I went on, I'm confident you'll be able to survive without me. You made it clear my contract wasn't an issue." You said sweetly. Undyne seemed thrilled with your confidence and let go of him, knowing you could handle yourself. 

Cesar huffed and looked around, embarrassed and enraged.  
"Fine! Go ahead and join the creep show!" he gestured to Undyne and her girlfriend. "Have fun with your oversized vibrator over there. At least you'll finally be surrounded by freaks where you belong!" 

Undyne's girlfriend had to hold her back a little while you felt Mettaton's arm rest over your shoulder and pulling you close. 

"Oh, Darling, don't you know? Freaks have more fun." he winked down at you and you smiled.

Cesar stormed off, swearing and knocking into things as he got further away.

 

"I'll bring the limo around in 20 minutes. Go gather your things and you can stay with us tonight." said Mettaton.

"Make it ten. I don't have that much!" you said positively giddy. Undyne smacked your back as you ran past her with a "HELL YEAH!"

 

 

 

There were no words to describe your excitement or gratitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmm now the fun begins. Oh-ho-ho!


	3. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your new life is off to a great start! New friends as far as the eye can see!  
> Mettaton puts you straight to work and the two of you become closer. Close enough for him to confide in you about a problem he's been struggling with ever since the Monsters met the surface. Better show your resourcefulness!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was waaaay too excited polishing off some major scenes coming up later in the story. All I can say is that the moments I have are delicious and all I need is to build some killer stairways/pitfalls leading to them. I love you all! Your comments seriously stuff my gut will feels. Thank you thank you thank you!

You were ushered into your own room in the penthouse of the hotel the Monsters were staying in. You enjoyed another dreamless sleep, and woke up to the smell of pancakes. When you joined everyone for breakfast, Undyne was the first to get up and hug you, lifting you off of the ground. She introduced her girlfriend, Alphys, to you and carried you over to meet the others. The goat man was sitting next to the child at the table, helping them with a crossword. He introduced himself as Asgore and the kid as Frisk. Frisk signed something to Asgore, who interpreted it to you as a compliment towards your white hair. The sign language threw you off for a moment when the goat woman, later named Toriel, asked Frisk if they wanted strawberries on their pancakes, to which they eagerly nodded. So they aren't deaf, only mute. Interesting.  
You sat content, having the best breakfast you've had in eons surrounded by people who, for once, seemed genuinely excited by your presence.

"Wow, Toriel! This breakfast really takes the _panCAKE_!" you said, taking a bite. Not your best pun, but satisfying enough for 9am. Undyne and Alphys snorted.

Toriel sat across from you while you all ate, sipping coffee and reading a book. Frisk signed something to Asgore again and he sighed with a deep quiet laugh.

"Yes, Frisk, I suppose she does." he said, looking at you. You looked up with a mouth full of pancake inquisitively. Asgore realized he might appear rude talking about you while you're present. "Frisk said you remind them of someone."

You swallowed and smiled nervously. That was the second time you've heard that statement. It was starting to get on your nerves a little because honestly, you don't particularly look like a lot of people. Multi-colored hair, differently colored eyes, and a tiny build wasn't exactly common.

"Yeah... I-I guess I can kind of see it!" Alphys said while Undyne nodded, happy that she agreed. You looked around a little confused and met eyes with Toriel, who was looking at you over her book. She, for some reason, didn't seem as enthusiastic as everyone else who was observing your comparative likeness to this mystery-being. Your skin crawled at her icy glare for a moment before curiosity got the better of you.

"Who?" you asked.

"That's enough." Toriel said with a hushed intensity as she closed her book and stood. There was an awkward silence as she collected plates. "Scarlet doesn't look like anyone but her beautiful self. She's absolutely capable of making her own impressions on us without these ridiculous comparisons." her tone attempted to shift to a cheerier one, but didn't really stick the landing.

You were lost as to what offensive undertone just caused her to snap. She didn't seem like the easily angered type. A tiny hand grabbed yours and pulled you towards the living room. Undyne grabbed the other.

"Wanna play "Sorry!", pipsqueak?" she said with a mischievous smirk.

"L-Last time we played that, Undyne threw a spear though the couch..." Alphys said, almost as a warning.

"Oh, that was one time! I'll be good, babe! I promise!" Undyne whined.

  
Asgore stayed in the kitchen with Toriel, patting her back and saying something softly to her. You hoped whatever was wrong wasn't your fault.

You shook it off as you all sat around the board game and tried to focus on trying to make Undyne impale something.

There was a part of you that was poking you with the sharp stick of paranoia, making sure you remembered to keep your guard up, but the circumstances were so surreal that you were able to relax. Like... really relax. Possibly for the first time in your life.

 

 

\---

 

 

After Mettaton gave you a more thorough proposal as to what you actually just signed on for, you signed everything with enthusiasm. Your pay was almost triple what Cirque d'Amour was giving you, along with benefits. You would have your own apartment in Tokyo and your own trailer on tour. In exchange, your training schedule was, while brutal, consistent. You would have days off and breaks, along with mandatory trips to see physical therapists and stylists. Hardly something you had to think twice about.  
As you handed Mettaton's lawyer the stacks of papers, Mettaton swept you up in an elaborate embrace.

"Oh, Darling! I'm so happy to finally have a human on my team! Welcome to the family!"

You tried to show your gratitude as best you could through crushed ribs.

 

 

\---

 

 

On the plane to Japan the seats were more like small beds that were two-by-two, fitted beside one another like a yin-yang. Undyne sat with Alphys, Asgore sat with Toriel, and you were paired with Frisk. The two of you were becoming really close. You weren't that versed in signs, but they were teaching you some basics. Outside of that, you would text each other. Frisk was really excited to have another human around. The whole ride you watched youtube videos, drew pictures, and learned more signs. Frisk would climb into your lap when they were sleepy.

[Sometimes I have nightmares...] they texted you, looking a little embarrassed.

"That's okay. I do too. Do you want to sit beside me? I don't think the nightmare demons could take on the both of us." you said playfully, moving your fingers in a creepy spider motion. Frisk let out a hoarse giggle and nodded. As you held them, you couldn't help but be struck with all sorts of mixed emotions.

What sort of life must this kid have? They were technically the Human Ambassador for the entire new race of monsters. They couldn't have been older than 8 or 10. When the two of you carried out random conversations, they certainly didn't carry themselves like a child at times. The feeling of Frisk's tiny body sinking its entire weight into you, sent your maternal instincts into a frenzy. You stroked their hair and rested your cheek on top of their head, suddenly willing to protect them at all costs. You drifted off to sleep, the questions in your head becoming less and less important.

 

  
\---

 

 

Japan was incredible. You'd been there years ago when you travelled with a different show, but that was Kyoto. Tokyo was almost like an alternate universe, especially since Monsters now walked the streets among the locals.

  
Your apartment was small, but very nice. It was on the 14th floor of the 20-story building Mettaton owned for the entire staff of his media empire. He liked them all to be close and ready at any moment to jump when he said so.  
It had some basic furniture, like a hotel room without any extra decor. You dropped your duffle bag and backpack on the couch and sighed, giving the place a 360 look-over. There were a few papers on your kitchen counter that were you printed itinerary, a list of MTT songs and movies to become familiar with, and a generic welcome letter from the MTT station staff.  
The kitchen was charming with a small island and barstools and a medium sized fridge.  
Your bedroom door was open, revealing the american style bed and night stands, one with a lamp on it and the other with a huge bouquet and a card that was no doubt another welcome note. There was a bathroom next door to the bedroom that was pretty tiny. There was just enough room to fit the sink, toilet, and standing shower, but that didnt bother you at all. You were overwhelmed with how generous your new friends were. A chuckle escaped you when you thought of the irony.

 

_Of course the ones to prove to you that not everyone in this world is a monster... would be literal Monsters._

 

There's a pun in there somewhere and god dammit you would find it.

 

 

\---

 

 

Choreographing and rehearsing with Mettaton was _**Fucking BRUTAL**_.

When fabricating the steps and combinations, you swore he must keep forgetting you're not battery powered. But he saw something in you that made him believe that you were on or around his level, so you pushed yourself, refusing to disappoint him. When he was unsatisfied, you started from the top, even if the routine was seconds from being over. He wasn't above launching rockets at you at random either. 

After a several weeks of nothing but rehearsing, you began to wonder when you would be put in an actual show. Every drill was treated as if opening night was tomorrow, and yet every schedule you received was just more and more rehearsing and training. Was he doubting you? Maybe he just couldn't decide what exactly to use you for yet. Either way, as thankful as you were, this was becoming tedious and you were hungry to perform.

Todays drill finished and you stepped off of your platform, panting and reaching for your towel and water.

 

"Perfection, as usual my dear!" he mused his usual praise. "You never cease to deliver."

 

You wiped the sweat from your face and decided to address it.

 

"Mettaton. Can I ask you something?" you said, trying to appear confident even though you were hoping not to come off as rude.

 

"Anything, pet!" he said, scrolling through a projection beaming from his eye showing various emails and texts.

 

Deep breath.

 

"Are there plans for me to do a live show any time soon?" you said plainly. Mettaton's expression became a worried one as he closed his projection, looking at the floor a bit dramatically.

 

"Oh, Darling. I'm sorry. I know you must ache for the stage. Believe me, I know more than anyone!" he sighed, sauntering to one of the couches towards the break area and falling back on it like a distraught southern belle. You were very interested in his further explanation, but couldn't help smirking at his consistent flamboyance. The energy was just astounding. "It's not that I don't think you're ready. It's really the opposite! I can hardly wait to show you off to my adoring public. I'm a slave to their needs and I know you're just what the ratings ordered!" he purred, continuing to stretch into helpless displays of drama.

 

"Is there anything I can do to improve and help this process? I just hate seeing you like this." you purred, crossing your arms and playfully matching the tone he was setting.

 

"Oh, my sweet Scarlet! You must understand, my head and my heart haven't been syncing to one another lately and it makes everything so frustrating." He stood and sashayed to the center of the room. "I'm going to tell you something. Something absolutely confidential. The only person I've told is my agent, but you... I have the irresistible urge to trust you, darling! Please say you'll never let this leave the set!" he struck a pose. Even when confiding, it was physically impossible for him to do anything without maximum flare. 

 

"My lips are a vault for you, my inspiration!" you played along, spinning in place and wilting your hand against your forehead.

 

"Alright, my passionate pupil." he sighed, turning towards you. "I am in love."

 

You gasped half genuinely! "Mettaton! You? Could a being possibly exist!"

 

"I know! I was surprised too. After I thought my one and only love would be my audience, he... he just appeared! A white knight! Glimmering!" Mettaton clutched his chest, blushing.

 

"Who is this unsung hero?" you grabbed his shoulders dramatically!

 

"He's positively perfect! A pristine pleasurable package of pride and posterity! He's PAPYRUS! Head of the Royal Guard! He's just so... Confident! So radiant! I dare say, he stole my heart the day we met!" Mettaton danced around the room with such creative style, painting his feelings for you.

 

"Does your Perfect, Painted, Prince Papyrus return your feelings?" You danced over to meet him. He had to be the most amazing boss you've ever had.

 

"Oh, yeeesss....!!!!" he cooed, falling to the floor. "We've been together for some time now. Just over a year. It's been so magical, my sensational Scarlet, but there's a problem."

 

"Who would dare stand in the way of a love this pure?" You stamped your foot.

 

"His brother..." he sighed, a little more genuine than his tone thus far.

 

"His brother?" You crouched to meet his eye-level. "He sounds like a Pompous, Pious, Prick! Prohibiting Poor Papyrus from Promising his heart to whomever he desires!" You cupped Mettaton's chin. 

 

"To be frank, my dear. I've wanted to wait for something truly special for you to perform your debut. I had hoped to throw my Precious Papy a birthday party and make you the headline. Though, he's nervous. His brother hasn't wanted to leave the house since we came to the surface."

The drama was fading with every new confession. You were beginning to see a side of him you were sure only a very rare chosen few got to witness. You sat comfortably and rested your chin on your folded arms, listening intently.  
"Papy is so caring. Really, he's the most selfless person I've ever known. ...And yet, he radiates a pure and boundless confidence that makes my heart skip and just condemns me to malfunctioning!" he blushed deeply and you smiled.   
"But... because he loves his brother so much, he's at home making sure he's alright with the majority of his time. He will tell him that he has special guard duties and meet me to spend time together. I've been trying to convince him to just tell him, but he's positive it will be met with disapproval. His brother hates my line of work. He... he likely hates me too."

Seeing the genuine pain in Mettaton's eyes broke your heart. You wanted to touch him with meaning and consolation, but something inside of you ignited. No one dissed on your awesome boss!

 

"UNACCEPTABLE!" You shouted. Jumping to your feet and making Mettaton jump back.  
"Mettaton! You brought me across the world to improve your ensemble, did you not?" You struck an accusatory pose. Mettaton stumbled over his words for a moment.  
"DID YOU NOT, SIR!" You drove the point, snapping him back into the moment as he rose to meet you.

 

"Of course! I only surround myself with the finest!" He gloated. That's better.

 

"Then please allow me to help you plan this party for your paradisiacal Papyrus!" you proposed triumphantly.

 

"I... I don't..." Mettaton stuttered, but regained composure with a passion. "Y-YES! IT WILL BE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!"

 

"And." you smirked.  
  


"And...?" Mettaton smirked back.

  
"We will invite this "Brother." you said arching a brow. "If we want to test my ability to capture the hearts of your public, why not set the bar high and try and melt the coldest heart?"

 

Mettaton grinned savagely at the combined proposal and insult. 

 

"I certainly know how to put a good team together, don't I?" he said, beaming with pride at you.   
"Very well!" he sang, back to his usual self. "I will call Papy tonight! We will come out together! Oh, Scarlet, you warm my circuits!" He hoisted you in an embrace and planted a kiss on each cheek. 

The rest of the evening you poured over different possible themes and venues. You both lost yourselves in planning and coordinating who would attend and what should be served as food and drink. Papyrus' birthday was in less than a week.   
  
  
The challenge filled you with _**DETERMINATION**_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter......
> 
>  
> 
> s'gon be fun.


	4. Black Lights and Lipstick Smudges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is shoved into being social after spending years as a hermit. 
> 
> He's pretty pissed he is being forced to attend this god-awful party, but if it makes Papyrus happy, there are worse things, he guessed...
> 
> But nothing could have prepared him for what this night would mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Angst, Batman!
> 
> Let me just say, I not only love Sans for.... reasons... but he is an amazing and complex character. I love writing him, I love drawing him, he's just an overall joy to use artistically. 
> 
> The story will occasionally switch to some Sans-centric. This is ultimately sin with depth. You've been warned. ;)

Sans laid on his bed in his nest of pillows and blankets. The bed was surrounded by stacks of empty plates and collections of empty glasses. His head and the tip of the remote were the only things sticking out of the massive bundle, as he flipped through Netflix. Staying away from everyone was surprisingly easy to do on the surface. There was an infinite amount of time wasting activities. Three years since the day he became a shut-in and he still hadn't seen the light at the end of the internet streaming tunnel.

Papyrus cracked the door.   
  
"Sans...?" he said meekly.

 

Sans grunted.

 

"Brother... I've come to collect your dishes."

Sans grunted again, continuing to flip through options. Papyrus shuffled through the narrow path where there weren't any clothes or random objects and grabbed as many dishes as he could carry. He stood in the doorway for a moment as if he was looking for something to say, but sighed and continued downstairs. Sans felt a tinge of guilt. He felt bad sometimes. He knew this was hard on Papyrus, but he was so fed up with everything he considered himself generous that he made the choice to stay alive, let alone stick around. Looking at the clock, it was a little past midnight. Might as well try and sleep. Nothing's on anyway.  

Sans shuffled deeper into the pile of blankets until he was completely submerged. His thoughts drifted back to the day the Monsters had reaches the surface... the day his heart shattered into a million pieces...

 

\-------------------------

 

This was the 1,097th reset. In real time, it only took Frisk a day or two to complete their journey and possibly a few more to defeat Flowey. Strictly speaking, every monster walking was nearly _HUNDREDS_ of years old if not older... but Sans, Frisk, and Flowey were the only ones who were aware of that fact. Sans had tried every possible outcome, tweaked every possible detail. He'd lost count how many times Frisk became possessed and slaughtered everyone... He'd lost count how many times he killed Frisk out of sheer spite, even making a game of it sometimes. He would catch Frisk at the most unsuspecting times, even if he wasn't hurting anyone and "prank" him. Sans hid behind jokes for so long, even "pranking" a child to death was something he became numb to.

He thought he'd tried everything... seen everything... and there was no escape from it. 

   
Every time Frisk had managed to leave the underground thus far it was alone. Why? Why would they go through the battles and trials over and over just to leave and then reset it all over again? He'd given up on the idea of ever seeing the surface somewhere around the 300th reset. There was even a good 5 year span of life where Frisk chose to stay in the underground. Sans thought that this was finally the solution he had been hoping for...

He took advantage of it, despite his better judgement, and snatched the life he'd always wanted. He told Toriel he loved her, which to him felt like a confession coming a hundred years late. He started doing more things with Papyrus. He got back into his Physics experiments. Everything was incredible.

Then Frisk got depressed... despite any efforts made, they seemed to fade away more and more every day. Terrified of his happiness being ripped away from him, Sans became frantic and began pouring over options. It was then Sans realized something he had never tried before.

Empathy.

Sans sat with Frisk and had a conversation that lasted for days. For the first time, they were truly listening to each other. Frisk was nearly broken. For those 5 years, Chara had been slowly eating away at their mind and it took all of their strength to fight them. It was finally taking its toll and literally killing their soul. Well, there was one possible ending that they hadn't tired yet.

What if they all went to the surface together?

Frisk was very hesitant. They assured Sans he didn't want to be up there. Why did he think Frisk kept returning? Every time they did, they were reminded of just how much they hated it and plunged themselves back into the underground. Well, sure, that's understandable but... how did they know how it might be with all of us by their side? Their family.  
Frisk meditated on this for hours of silence, which for these two old souls, only felt like sheer moments.

Eventually, Frisk nodded.

Sans gave Frisk the first embrace they'd ever received from him, nearly crying from gratitude. Once they were out of the underground, Frisk would no longer have the power to reset. It would all be over. Really, truly, over. Frisk only asked for one thing. 

 

"[Please send me back one last time... so that I can have my youth and stamina to do this right...]"

 

Sans nodded. In exchange, Sans asked if Frisk would help him explain the truth to Toriel so that they could truly start their lives together. Frisk agreed. It might help Toriel understand Frisk's PTSD and nightmares better...

With that, Sans sent a bone spike through their heart. Frisk gave a relieved smile as the world around them crumbled and everything faded into black.

"thanks, kid. see you on the other side."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The story went smoothly. Asriel was revived and defeated. Frisk chose to dig Flowey up and put him in a pot to take with them. The sunrise was gorgeous. This was the first spark Sans had the audacity to allow himself to feel in decades of darkness. Everyone walked off to enjoy this new world, leaving Sans, Toriel, and Frisk behind.  
Sans' breath hitched, suddenly terrified. He and Frisk exchanged glances.

Frisk tugged on Toriel's robe.

"What is it, my child?" she rang.

[... Sans and I need to tell you something. Something you aren't going to believe, but it's the truth. He and I both believe you deserve to know it.] Frisk signed.

Toriel's expression was of utter disbelief. She was very disturbed by Frisk's complete change in demeanor and equally concerned by Sans' seriousness that followed.  
The three of them sat at the top of Mount Ebbot, telling Toriel everything. The resets, her actual age, her multiple relationships with Sans, and the 5 years of uninterrupted joy she would never know. Sans gave a small breath of relief as the story came to a close, as he waited for Toriel's response. Nothing could have prepared him for her dismay.

 

"You mean to tell me... That you have known... you have known for _centuries_..." she stammered, holding her head and staring at the ground.

"tori... i've-"

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" she screamed and stood up, beginning to pace. "So... you know everything about me! You've known for.. who knows how long, and every time you manipulate me into falling in love with you?"

Sans was stunned. He hadn't considered this. He tripped over his words, desperately trying to think of something to say to calm her down.

"to..toriel. i've loved you for so long... i could have done _anything_ every time a reset happened, but every time i only wanted a way for us to find each other! to be together! and... and now we have a real shot! this is it! i don't ever have to lose you again..." he said, reaching to touch her back. She flinched and spun around, rage in her eyes. Sans stepped back. This was not how this was supposed to go...

"I do not want to be with someone who has the power to make me dance like a puppet..." she growled. Frisk touched her hand gently, causing a blanket to be thrown over the flame of her temper. She sighed deeply and thought for a moment.  
"..... Sans. My heart truly breaks for you and everything you must have gone through up until this point... but..." she said looking down at Frisk. "The truth is... if what you say is true... and all of that chaos is finally at an end... then we all have a chance to really move forward."

"y-yeah..." he said cautiously, not sure what she was saying.

"As Frisk's mother... I will need to dedicate all of my energy to caring for them, especially after learning all of this. This will not leave me with any more devotion to give... to anyone."

Sans' heart shattered. He regretted everything. He wanted to go back. She was truly fading from him, but there would be no reset to bring her back this time...

"tori..." he choked. "please..."

"I am so sorry Sans..." her own eyes were welling up with tears. "I will need some time before I can forgive you. Until then... I ask that you stay away from me."

 

Toriel left Frisk and Sans at the top of the mountain. Sans began spiraling. Frisk took his hand, and he looked up with tears falling freely.

 

[This is a lot for someone who has suffered, like she has, to take in all at once. I'll try talking to her. Give it time.] Frisk signed.

For some reason, this gave Sans hope. She just needed time. He would still have a chance to be happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three years later, Sans hadn't heard from or seen Toriel at all. He stopped trying to make the effort after he heard from Frisk that she had forgiven Asgore and they had rekindled a friendship. If she was willing to forgive _Asgore_ before him, then it really must be hopeless.   
Frisk would still continue to visit occasionally, but lately the visits were few and far between. It had been a month or two since Sans had seen anyone besides Papyrus.   
It wasn't all bad, though. Human television was a powerful numbing tool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morning came and Sans' door flew open so hard it was nearly knocked off of its hinges. Sans jumped up, eye glowing and ready to attack.

 

"BROTHER! I... I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!" Papyrus stood in the doorway. Sans relaxed and wrapped himself back into a burrito.  
"ABSOLUTELY NOT, LAZY BONES!" he shouted, grabbing Sans and yanking the blanket, sending him rolling out of the door. Sans landed on his chest, wearing nothing but a T-shirt and boxers.  
"BROTHER, IT IS MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!"

"i know, paps. i already ordered you a gift."

"WHILE I APPRECIATE IT, I CAN ASSURE YOU IT IS NOT WHAT I DESIRE!" Papyrus lifted his brother off of the floor and threw him over his shoulder.

"papyrus, put me down." Sans mumbled with minimal effort to fight back.

"YOU WISH FOR ME TO PUT YOU DOWN? VERY WELL!" Papyrus dropped Sans in a full bathtub. "YOU MUST BE CLEAN!"

"okay." Sans said, still refusing to move yet sinking lower into the water. Papyrus grabbed a luffa and began scrubbing his skull. Sans didn't know what Papyrus was getting at, but he was confident Paps would give up with the right amount of lethargy. 

After Papyrus was done bathing his brother, he dressed him in some sweat pants and a clean shirt and threw him back over his shoulder, heading towards the front door.

"where we goin', bro?" Sans said, suddenly getting the feeling this was going somewhere he wouldn't like.

"WHY, WE'RE GOING TO GET FITTED!" Papyrus said, suddenly throwing Sans in the back of a limo. Sans began to sweat.

"huh... what's the occasion?" he said, looking up at his brother from the floor of the car. Papyrus fidgeted for a moment before his expression showed a determined decisiveness.

"MY BOYFRIEND IS THROWING ME A BIRTHDAY PARTY TOMORROW AND YOU ARE GOING TO ATTEND AND LIKE IT!!" Papyrus commanded, his face flushed. Sans' eyes went dark.

 

"....oh."

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

The evening of the party arrived. While you and Mettaton tried to think of a perfect theme, he seemed to fall in love with your suggestion of a "Dia de los Muertos" theme. You then discovered that Papyrus was, actually, a skeleton and suddenly understood.  
The ballroom was decorated from top to bottom with lavish fabrics and hanging colorful skeletons. Blacklights peppered the ceilings and walls, giving the room an extra zing of color. There was a stage at the end of the ballroom and just in front of it was a catwalk that lead to a platform with two appropriately decorated thrones. A large one for the Birthday Boy and a smaller one for his brother. Tables were scattered around for guests to sit and mingle. There were all sorts of delicious confections, but the centerpiece was a tower of huge bowls of spaghetti. This seemed like the only decision you couldn't understand for the life of you, but Mettaton insisted. 

You were the most excited for the routine the two of you had planned. You had introduced Mettaton to the song "Spooky Scary Skeletons" and he had a frenzy remixing it. Once Undyne and Alphys found out about the party via invite, they were eager to help with whatever they could. Undyne was particularly willing. She told you how she and Papyrus used to be best friends, but ever since they came to the surface he sort of dropped off the grid. You shook her shoulder, trying to pull her back from the sadness. This party was going to be amazing, and it would guarantee his return to the group. She gave your the most violent noogie you'd ever received and left to get ready.

 

Your costume was flawless. You'd be debuting with an aerial silk routine, followed by a dance. You wore a deep red velvet bra and some black and white vertically striped, high-wasted leggings, with deep red dance shoes to match your top. You had devilishly intricate sugar skull make up with bright red lips, which really made your blue eye pop eerily. Red and black roses adorned your hair, which you curled and let flow down your back in a snowy waterfall. You wanted to dye it, but Mettaton insisted you wait until after this performance. Your torso and arms looked bare, but were painted with a luminescence that would only show up in the black light, revealing a skeletal tracing of your bones underneath. You looked seductively terrifying.

Mettaton wore a black lace gown and dead flower crown. His make-up was also fashioned into a sugar skull, but still in a Mettaton Brand sort of way. He approached you with enthusiasm.

 

"Darling, you look positively neck breaking!" he circled around you, the train of his gown following.

"I pale in comparison to your outfit, boss." you winked. He laughed and sighed.

"I wanted to thank you for inspiring me to do this. Everything seems to be going according to plan!"

"Papyrus' brother is cooperating?"

"Apparently." He said with a smile of disbelief. 

"Well, I guess I'd better do my best to cause a ruckus." you said, with a playful grin.

"I'm breathless to see it!" Mettaton, glided out of the door. "You need to get to your place before the brothers arrive! It should be any minute!"

 

You nodded and found focus, running to the ballroom to be rigged.

 

\----

 

The room bustled with monsters and humans alike. All of the gifts people brought were being piled around the thrones at the end of the catwalk. Dance music hummed throughout the space, but it was still too early for people to start dancing.

 

You hung from the ceiling, wrapped in your silks above everyone, silently observing. You'd remain like this until your debut. You didn't mind that much, though. It made you feel like Batman. You saw Undyne and Alphys painted up and dressed accordingly. It always warmed your heart to see those two interact. especially when they thought no one could see them.  
Asgore and Frisk walked in, looking dashing as ever. You looked around for Toriel, but didn't see her.  
Your concentration broke as you heard Mettaton cry out in glee as Papyrus and Sans walked in, though to you, you could only make out the tops of two decorative sombreros.

Those must be the brothers.

 

\----

 

"Papy~!!" Mettaton cheered.

"H-HELLO, METTATON!" Papyrus cheered back. Mettaton refused to hold anything back, despite Sans' presence and planted a kiss on Papyrus' teeth, nearly knocking off his sombrero.

Sans didn't emote.

"C-CAREFUL, DARLING! MY MAKE UP!" Papyrus protested. Mettaton backed away and realized they were in very handsome mexican formal wear, with detailed decorations painted onto their skulls. He let out a squeal.

"Oh, you both look so sheik! My stylist is simply a miracle worker!"

"HE CERTAINLY IS! WE NEARLY HAD TO STRAP SANS DOWN TO GET HIM TO STAY STILL LONG ENOUGH TO APPLY THE MAKE-UP!"

"what can i say? i couldn't **_make-up_ ** a good enough reason not to come so... here i am." Sans joked, but seemed to be scanning the room, anxiously. Papyrus scowled at the pun, but his eyes were fondly back on Mettaton in an instant.

"Your seat is up there, Papy dear. Sans, yours is right beside his-"

"OH MY GOD! YOU REALLY DO CARE!" Papyrus interrupted him, running over to the tower of birthday spaghetti. Mettaton met eyes with Sans for a moment. He decided to smile sweetly and say "It's nice to see you, Sans." before he ran after Papyrus. The two of them mingled and toured the room, completely enthralled.

 

 

Sans wanted to express his disgust, but sighed. He didn't see Toriel...

Suddenly he felt a very hard slap on the back.

"Never thought I'd see you in anything but pajamas!" Undyne chuckled. Alphys nervously held Undyne's hand and seemed to be thinking of what to say.

"uh... yeah." Sans mumbled, looking around the room. It was like some kind of Skeleton Worship theme. As fascinating as it was to him, he felt a little uneasy by it for some reason. 

"S-Sans..." Alphys muttered, being pushed forward by Undyne encouragingly. Sans' gaze flicked towards her.   
"Everyone... everyone r-really misses you..." she said, fidgeting with her dress. "We've all been so worried..."

Sans looked down, feeling that tinge of guilt again.

"Undyne and I were wondering... since you're here... d-does that mean you're feeling better now? I mean, I-I don't want to bombard you with too much too fast but..." she reached into her pocket and pulled out a brochure. "I'm working at this amazing lab now...! a-and.. I could really use you there..."

Sans took the brochure and sighed. 

"Just, think about it." Undyne said sternly. Sans met her very serious gaze. He put it in his pocket.

" ** _bro-sure_** thing, Al. sounds fun." he winked. Undyne rolled her eyes with a small smirk she couldn't help.

 

Sans suddenly felt hands wrap around his waist from behind. He looked down and saw Frisk's little arms.

"hey, kiddo!" Sans laughed. He turned around to see Frisk's overjoyed face and... Asgore.

"Sans. It is good to see you. It has been ages, it seems." Asgore smiled. Sans maintained his fixed grin.

"yeah. papyrus was pretty _**dead**_ serious about me showin' up." Sand said, gesturing the decor. Frisk beamed. It made Sans' metaphorical stomach churn with more of that annoying guilt.

[I look like you, bonehead!] Frisk signed, spinning in place. They were wearing a matador-esque outfit, complete with a cape and a red and black tutu (they insisted), with their face and hands painted in a skeletal fashion.

"lookin sharp, kid! i'd even say you've never looked better." Sans said, grinning wider.

"It is a shame Toriel felt ill tonight. She would have liked to have seen you. Perhaps you should visit? I know there has been some... tension." Asgore said, noticing Sans' eyes growing more and more hollow with every word he spoke, but continued. "However, it has been a long time. She misses you, even if she will not say it. We should have tea some time."

Sweat formed on Sans' skull. He looked at Frisk, who nodded encouragingly.

 

 

" _ **MY DARLINGS! MY LOVELY HUMANS AND MONSTERS!**_ " Mettaton called melodically over the loudspeaker. For the first time in his life, Sans was thankful tor Mettaton.  
**_"The time has come for my first gift to my Boney Birthday Babe!"_**  

The crowd laughed and cheered. Papyrus ran over to Sans and grabbed his arm, jumping onto the platform with special thrones. Sans was plopped down as Papyrus sat, positively giddy in his. Slumping, Sans got comfortable. At least he could be entertained by whatever nonsense Mettaton had planned.

 

\--

 

The room darkened and the crowd hushed.

The music began and Mettaton stood center stage.

Colorful lights danced around the room, bright pinks, greens, and blues to accompany the bright wash of black light. The audience could only see the elaborate painted patterns of luminescent lights that covered everything with brilliant intricacy. 

Mettaton gave a riveting performance. Dramatic, stylish, and sharp. 

 

You waited for your you cue. 

 

The moment Mettaton paused, you heard a drum roll. There it is.

 

You pulled the cord that was securing you and dropped towards the floor, the fabric unraveling and sending you spinning down. With the crash of a high-hat, you struck an elegant starfish pose, hanging just in front of the skeleton brothers with a brilliant smile. The black light highlighted your skeleton make-up, making you look even more otherworldly.  
The audience cheered as you got your first good look at the guests of honor. 

 

_Wow. You knew they were skeletons.. but they were like **actually** skeletons!_

 

Papyrus was taller than you'd expected, and it was safe to assume this was his grumpy brother next to him. For some reason you were overcome with a sense mischief and decided to improvise with the few minutes you had to bow and interpretively introduce yourself.

You tucked and did a backwards cartwheel, landing on the table in front of the infamous brother in a playful crouch. 

Sans looked at you with suppressed awe. You cocked your head to the side with a small smile and leaned in further to invade his personal space, making Sans press back against his chair and begin to sweat.   
You grinned maliciously.

"um... heh... hi?" Sans said, his smile faltering, your face inches from his.

You planted a kiss dead on the bridge of his nasal cavity and pulled his hat down over his face, then quickly tumbled backward, launching yourself up and grabbing the silks again, which swept you away and around the audience.

The crowd went wild with laughter and cheering! You were sure you heard Undyne's roaring laughter above everyone else as you swung above everyone blowing kisses, spinning, and posing.

  
Sans wiped his sleeve over his nose, smudging the lipstick all over it, and repositioned his hat with frustration. His nerves were somehow shot as he looked up at you with fury.   
_What the **hell** just happened!?_ he thought, looking over to Papyrus who was nearly falling out of his chair with hysterical laughter.

You rotated around the crowd once more before jumping off onto the stage to join Mettaton for the rest of the number. The both of you danced in unison effortlessly until the music came to a stop and confetti sprayed everywhere.   
The room erupted with applause.

" **My Darlings, it is my esteemed pleasure to introduce you all to the newest addition to the mural that is my life, _Miss Scarlet Starlet!_** " he announced. You were both flooded in a spotlight, which was a bit over stimulating after being in black light for a while, but you bowed and curtsied through it.  
**"Now, my lovely assistant, would you be so kind as to help the Birthday Beauty with his gifts?** " he gestured to Papyrus, who was also under a spotlight surrounded by what had accumulated into a sizable pile of gifts around the thrones.

You sashayed down the catwalk and arrived onto their platform, turning to the gifts and motioning an "eenie-meenie-minie-moe..." gesture. Everyone laughed and clapped in a rhythm as you handed a very excited Papyrus gift after gift.   
The room reduced to the hum of conversation and background music as you came down to the last few gifts. 

So far Papyrus had received a dozen various gift cards, plenty of kitchenware (most of it for pasta making), seat covers for his car, and a plethora of action figures. You don't think you ever seen someone so... just.. _MADE_ of joy. _Pure unadulterated joy_. It was one of the more refreshing moments of your life.

You handed Papyrus the last gift, this one was marked: " _From, Ton-Ton <3_." Papyrus eagerly unwrapped it.  
Inside was a pair of very expensive sunglasses and a matching shirt with the words "Verte-bae" written on it with sharpie in Mettaton's handwriting. The gift didn't seem like Mettaton at all. It was so... simple. Though, it must have held a lot of meaning because Papyrus' eyes welled up. He leapt out of his seat and ran to Mettaton, who was talking to a small group of humans. He was suddenly lifted off of the ground in a passionate embrace and spun around, Papyrus shouting 'THANK YOU!" over and over again.

You smiled genuinely. After seeing how troubled Mettaton was, you were overwhelmed with happiness to see things work out for him. You even felt yourself getting a little misty-eyed.

 

"so... 'scarlet', huh?" Sans said, snapping you out of it. You turned to the skeleton brother, who was sitting cross-legged in his chair, resting his face on his palm and smudged lipstick all over his face.

You raised a brow and opened your mouth to respond, when you suddenly saw Frisk climbing onto the platform and skipping towards you. Their arms outstretched and you lifted them and spun them around, giggling. 

[You were amazing!] Frisk signed excitedly.

[Thank you!] you signed back, poking Frisk to make them laugh.

Sans eyes widened a little. So... you knew the kid, who seemed to like you. And you could speak in signs... _Where the hell did **you** come from?_

Undyne and Alphys climbed up as well, picking up the both of you in a hug.

"Best. Show. EVER! Way to go, pipsqueak!" Undyne laughed, shaking you all. Everyone laughed and hugged, geeking out.

 

 

 

 

Sans watched from his chair in fascination for the rest of the evening. He must have missed a lot. Seeing everyone so happy made him realize how things could possibly change for the better... even without the love of his life... Maybe it was time to try and start making an effort again towards...

...well, anything. 

 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_"um, hey..." by @shadow_bunny_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAANGST-SICLES!!! 
> 
> And a nice, creamy, fluffy, tension center. Mmmmmm...
> 
> A few readers have informed me that they are having trouble picturing the poses. So, instead of typing a wall of description text, I'll try and post links of pictures of the poses I'm choosing. You're all amazing and I love you!
> 
> Starfish Pose:
> 
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d5/58/26/d558268e249cdc4b30566be4ed47ee18.jpg


	5. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mettaton has given you an entire weekend off! Not wanting to waste any of this precious down-time, you quickly take up an invitation to a small party Undyne is throwing.
> 
> Things get interesting. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite this chapter, because I had a muuuuch better idea than what I'd originally planned. Hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Your comments give me life! Please let me know what you think! Love!

****

Y _ou were standing in front of their chair._

_ They seemed to look through you.  _

_ You screamed and cried, shaking them, but they wouldn't respond. _

_ You slapped them. _

_ You said you hated them. _

_ No... you loved them. _

_ You're sorry. _

_ Please... Please stop this... It's killing you...  _

_ Collapsing to your knees, you held their hands, shaking.  _

_ They slowly looked down at you. _

_ Their face was so pale and lost. _

 

 

_ "...Who are you?" _

 

 

 

 

You woke up with a violent jolt when you heard your apartment door shutting loudly.

Where you come from... that's never a good sign.

Wiping the cold sweat from your forehead, you looked around and tried to find something as a weapon, figuring your alarm clock would do.

Cracking the door, a floral smell overwhelmed your senses. Opening it fully and tossing the clock back onto your bed, you gazed upon about two dozen various bouquets placed on every flat surface the room had. There was a small, bright pink bouquet of roses on the coffee table with a card. Smiling you picked up the flowers and plucked the card from it's stand.

 

"Thank you for helping make my dreams come true. ~Mettaton"

 

Oh that silly love-bot...

 

Your phone buzzed and you went back into your bedroom to check it. Your brow furrowed as you read the e-mail a couple of times to make sure you were reading it right. 

Apparently, Mettaton would be gone for the weekend with Papyrus. His station would run movie marathons and re-runs in his absence. Additionally, you would have three days off in a row. Even though you would have one day off a week regularly, Mettaton never ever  **ever**  took time off. You laughed to yourself. They must have spontaneously decided to take advantage of their coming out in the only way Mettaton knows how: As big and frivolous as possible.  

 

Wow. Three days with nothing. No rehearsals or Mettaton history classes! You quickly called Undyne and asked if she wanted to hang out.

After you made plans for a chill night with you "and a few friends," you went through your wardrobe to get ready.

 

You style was always a hybrid between goth and anime nerd. Japan was a fashion haven for that. You put on black skinny jeans and a white shirt that had a black skull on it with "Socket to Me" written in bloody letters. Throwing on a stylish grey jacket, you deemed yourself presentable and headed out.

 

 

\--------------------------

 

Sans woke up from his first full night's sleep in a long time. That was... oddly nice. Stretching with a loud yawn, he scratched the back of his skull and looked around. His door was open. Something was off.

"paps?" he called out, looking around the corner. There was a note taped to Papyrus' door.

 

" _BROTHER!_

_ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING MY PARTY LAST NIGHT! _

_ IT MEANT A LOT TO ME. _

_ TRULY. _

_ METTATON AND I HAVE DECIDED TO LEAVE FOR A FEW DAYS TO GO ON AN "OMEGA DATE"! _

_ PLEASE TRY AND CONTINUE TO SOCIALIZE! _

_ ~~ THE GREAT PAPYRUS ~~ _

_ P.S. THERE IS SPAGHETTI IN THE FRIDGE. _

_ P.P.S. DO NOT TOUCH MY NEW PASTA-WARE!" _

 

Sans growled and crumpled the paper up, tossing it behind him. He absolutely hated this... fling Papyrus decided to throw himself into. But... he was only just now starting to care about all of the solitude he must have forced on his brother indirectly. This was karma for everything, he told himself. Even though he was worried that Papyrus would end up getting himself hurt, he might as well let one of them be happy. If it made Paps happy, he'd tolerate it. As best as he could anyway...

Suddenly he heard a familiar noise that made him jump. Was... was that his phone?? He tripped over himself and ran into his room. It continued to buzz. He frantically dug through the piles of clothes and trash in his room. 

He grabbed it loosely, nearly dropping it and fumbling for a moment before managing to hit the call button.

"h-hello..??" he stuttered. He didn't get a chance to even see who was calling.

"Hey, punk!" Undyne sneered. 

Sans caught his breath for a moment. He thought it could have been Tori... but was a little relieved that it wasn't.

"heh... uh... hey, undyne. sup?" he said, regaining composure.

"Come over tonight. I'm having a few people over for drinks. That is, if you're not crawling back into your cave." she teased.

"uh... i don't know. papyrus is-"

"-Papyrus is out of town, dumbass. I knew you were gonna try and get out of it. Any other excuses you wanna throw at me?"

".... i'm washing my hair?" he joked.

"Har-har..." she mocked. "Look, please come? I promise it'll be fun. Alphys wasn't kidding last night. We miss you. I'll even get you burgers. I know you're probably sick to death of spaghetti."

"well, damn undyne. you drive a hard  **burg** -gan..." he sighed. Well. What harm could it do? "okay. send me your address. i'll come."

"HELL YEAH!" she cheered. "I'll grab your grub now! Party's at 4! Bring high tolerance!"

Sans could almost feel how hard she hung up the phone. He took a deep breath. What the hell he was doing? Why even try? What was the point...?

... then again...

 

Why not?

 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

You knocked on Undyne's door and she answered with a grin!

"Pipsqueak!" she greeted, hugging you hard.

"Careful!" you grunted. "I brought snacks!"

She put you down and you gasped for air. You held up the chips and candy wiggling your eyebrows. Undyne laughed and guided you into the kitchen.

"It took forever to find these. I had to go to three different grocery stores to find an American section and even then, my Japanese is still so splotchy the clerks were pretty petty about helping me." you said, setting everything up. Undyne said something in Japanese to taunt you. You stuck out your tongue and flicked her off.

"Hah! Did Frisk teach you that one?" she chuckled.

"No. I came out of the womb with that one." you winked.

Alphys came in, wearing a Full Metal Alchemist shirt and a cute skort. She and Undyne started conversing in Japanese. You frowned and tried to pick up on some of the basic phrases you had learned through exposure and the online classes you barely had time for. The only words you understood were your name, "fun," and "guests." Well that was a bust. Alphys looked at you and laughed at your expression, pointing to you and saying something to Undyne.

Undyne looked at you with a smile similar to the night you first met. You were struck with a small amount of worry for some reason. 

"Hai, hai, bishoujou..." she cooed at you. Undyne walked past you and to the fridge. Grabbing a bottle of Midori and cocktail mix, she started crafting something. You looked back at Alphys, who looked away, blushing. Whatever game they were playing, you were starting to feel very concerned. 

Undyne handed you a frothy green concoction. "Let's get the party started, huh?" she said, clinking her glass to yours.

 

 

 

 

A few other monsters showed up as the night progressed. Two female monsters, a pink cat and a tall.. alligator girl? And a blue rabbit monster, who came with a taller orange cat monster. 

You were fascinated by the variety of different creatures. It occurred to you that you rarely saw two of the same... was 'species' even the right word? It was so surreal how they all were just... completely normal. They carried on conversations and laughed over drinks just like any other party you've ever been to. Your mind was racing with questions about monster genetics when you heard the doorbell ring.

"Scarlet! Could you get that?" Undyne called from the kitchen, making another drink.

"Sure!" you chimed, and made your way over to the door.

 

You opened it to see the skeleton brother. Sans was wearing jeans, a blue shirt with a "Parental Advisory" logo on it, and a baby blue parka with matching sneakers. He seemed surprised to see you, doing a double take. He grinned with an arched brow.

"um. hey there." he said, with a small wave. It took a minute for him to recognize you without your make-up on. The both of you stood at the same height, though Sans was just a hair shorter. He noticed that, surprisingly, your hair was the same and eyes were still different colors, something he assumed was a cosmetic element to your costume. His eyes lowered to your shirt... that had a _skeleton pun_ on it. An uncomfortable chill ran up his spine. Before, you were just a conundrum to him, but now he was starting to get a little creeped out...

Your blank expression slowly morphed into an eerie smile. _You had no idea **he** was invited._ There was a part of you that hoped you didn't embarrass him too badly the night before, but at the same time, the thought of his irritation was a little entertaining. You stepped aside, motioning your head towards the party.

" _ **Bone-t**_ you come in?" you coaxed, pleased with yourself. Sans' eyes got wide. He looked like you had insulted his great ancestors. _Uh-oh... did you accidentally say something racist or something...?_

"w-what... did you just say...?" he stammered and blinked. Even though you were slowly beginning to feel mortified it was fascinating how he could change his expressions. He certainly resembled a human skeleton, but his face seemed perfectly capable of manipulation and his bones were a bit thicker and less rigid than what you'd see on human remains.  

"SANS! YOU CAME!" Undyne shouted from the living room, breaking the tension. "Come eat your food, dude!" she said, shaking a to-go box.

" ** _bone-t_** mind if i do." he replied, moving past you, but maintaining eye-contact until you were behind him.

You weren't sure what just happened. _Was that a jab back at you? Was he offended? Ugh, whatever._

 

 

 

 

The party went well. You got into a game of beer pong that was you and Undyne against the Cat (Burgerpants) and Rabbit (Blue).   
Sans and Alphys sat on the couch with some drinks, catching up and discussing the job opportunity she had for him. The Cat Girl (Catty) and Alligator Girl (Bratty) stood in the kitchen taking shots and gossiping.

  
You were absolutely in the zone, making nearly every shot you took, while Undyne was less successful.

"Wow, Scarlet! Your arms look so ripped from carrying your team!" Burgerpants teased. You burst out with laughter while Undyne grabbed him by the collar and scowled, saying some Japanese obscenities. Burgerpants threw his ball, nervously, which managed to bounce and make it in.

"Dammit! Undyne, stop! The fear is making them better!" you laughed. She dropped the cat and sighed.  
"Kampai!" you said, holding up two glasses that you both chugged.  
You felt a gaze at your back and looked behind you, meeting Sans' eyes. His expression was intense, almost studious. He realized you saw him staring and nervously looked back at Alphys. That had been happening a lot tonight. _What was his deal?_

 

"A-am I boring you?" Alphys said, waving a hand in front of Sans' face. 

"huh? o-oh... no. you're fine." he said, trying to mask his distraction. Alphys looked in your direction and back at Sans. She smirked. Sans' brow furrowed. "what."

"N-Nothing...!" she said, blushing a little. "You just seem a little... _distracted_ is all."

"don't know what you're talkin' bout." he said, downing his drink.

 

 

 

 

A few more hours passed. Catty and Bratty were passed out in the spare guest bedroom Alphys and Undyne had. Burgerpants and Blue exchanged numbers with you and left after they ultimately lost to you and Undyne, who threw the winning shot. Your sternum still ached from the victory chest-bump that sent you flying back a few feet. 

Then there were four.

You and Undyne stood in the foyer for a second. 

"So, it's only 11:00. Any other games you wanna play? I don't have work tomorrow, so I want to stay up as late as possible for once." you beamed. Undyne thought for a second, then was struck with an idea that earned a sly, toothy smile.

"Hey, Babe!" she called to Alphys.

"Y-yeah?" Alphys answered.

"Wanna play _**Jenga**_?" she said wiggling her eyebrows.

"I... Yeah, I guess now would be a good time for Jenga." Alphys laughed nervously, blushing deeply. You were a little confused. You had played Jenga before. Why was this sounding so scandalous?

 

The four of you sat on the floor in a circle. You across from Sans, Undyne across from Alphys. The two of them seemed to be giddy and holding back laughter as they set up the tower. You looked over to Sans, silently asking if he knew what they were doing with a gesture. He shrugged, looking just as lost as you.

"Alright, pipsqueak, you first!" Undyne said, going to the kitchen to grab more drinks.

You pulled a block from the center of the tower. You noticed the block had something written on it.

 _.... Oh. Ooooohhhhh..._ you raised a brow, finally catching on.

"What does it say?" asked Alphys, taking the drinks from Undyne and handing you one. 

"It says, ' _Person to your right smacks your ass_.'" you said nervously. You looked over to Undyne, who was the lucky contestant, cracking her knuckles and motioning  for you to come hither with her hand. 

Well, this night just became a lot more interesting.

Sans' eyes got wide and he went to drink his beer. Alphys put her hand on the top of the bottle before he could.

"No! You have to pull a block that tells you to drink!" she laughed. Sans gulped, suddenly feeling really weird about everything.

 

You stood up and bent over a chair beside Undyne.

"Please be gentle. I don't think I want to explain any bruises to Mettaton if he decides to put me in some sort of revealing costume..." you chuckled.

"Aww, don't take all the fun out of it!" she groaned and aimed her hand. You shut your eyes tight and braced for impact. 

_**SMACK!!** _

You let out a small squeal, and burst into laughter. Sans started fidgeting, blue blush tinting his cheekbones, but grin fixed on his face.

"Consider yourself lucky! That was only 25% power!" She chuckled, the two of you returning to your spots.

 

Alphys pulled a block. " _Take a drink_!" She obliged.

Sans nervously poked a block off of the side. " _Ask a question someone MUST answer honestly!_ " He looked up at you and took a sip of his beer, despite Alphys' frown.

"so.. what's up with your eyes?" he said, placing his block on top of the tower. You smiled.

"It's a mutation. It's called Heterochromia. Not really all that rare, but its definitely not common either. Most of the time its like a shade or two off from each other like brown and green or something. I haven't really met anyone else with a contrast as extreme as mine." you said plainly. It was something you were asked pretty frequently, but they all seemed really captivated by you.

"I think its really p-pretty..." Alphys smiled.

"Thanks!" you said sweetly. Sans stared at you as if he was completely confused.

"My turn!" Undyne said, snatching a block from the bottom and making the tower wobble. " _Trade shirts with the person across from you!_ "

The couple quickly traded without a thought. Undyne's black tank-top was tight on Alphys, while her Full Metal Alchemist T-shirt was comfortably loose on the fit fish girl.  

You slid a block out. " _Take a shot!_ " You shrugged and went into the kitchen to resolve it. 

 

The game continued, with most of the blocks getting you all moderately drunk and trading clothes. Sans seemed to relax a little after his second shot. You were wearing Sans' jacket now, and he had Alphys' flower headband on. Undyne and you had traded pants, and she also had your jacket. 

You had eaten a spoonful of hot sauce. Alphys had to take a shot while doing a headstand, which you held her feet for. Undyne broke a wooden cutting board with her forehead... which wasn't what was on the block, but she just had a mighty need to. Sans, other than trading clothes, had mostly gotten drinking blocks. 

The tower was almost as tipsy as you were. You giggled as you carefully pulled a block from a very unstable row and managed to free it, the tower wobbling, but regaining stability. Everyone muffled laughter and sighed with relief.

You looked down at your block and laughed.

"Kiss the person across from you!" you read with a mischievous tone. The girls cried "Ooooooohhhhh~!!" in unison as Sans nearly spit his drink. He choked and coughed, as Undyne and Alphys laughed. You stood and walked over to his side, kneeling beside him.

Sans pushed your shoulder back as you leaned in.

"heh... that's okay."

"Dude, come on, its just a stupid kiss." you smiled, leaning in again. Sans pushed back harder, nearly knocking you backward.

"i said no." he said seriously, his eyes getting darker. A little woozy from being pushed, you looked up at him irritated.

"Sans, come on, its just for fun!" Undyne said, with an impatient tone.

"It's not like I haven't already kissed you. Don't be such a scaredy skelly!" you said seductively, leaning in again. 

Sans shoved you back this time, knocking you into Undyne, making you gasp at the sudden action. Without a word, he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Sans, what the fuck, dude!? What's wrong with you!" Undyne shouted. Alphys covered her mouth, horrified.

 

Sans slammed the door behind him.

 

"What the fuck is his problem?" you grunted, as Undyne helped you up.

"He can be an asshole... Don't worry about it. He's been acting fucking stupid since we got up here..." she growled.

Alphys started crying. Undyne quickly hugged her and stroked her back.

"Th-Things were going so w-well..." she sniffled.

Your buzz having been thoroughly harshed, you held your face in your hands for a moment and sighed. 

"You can crash on the couch if you want." Undyne offered.

"Nah." you groaned. "Thanks, though. I think I'm just gonna walk home."

"Okay. Text me." she said, consoling Alphys and heading towards their bedroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You walked out onto the street, and started home, in slightly inebriated deep thought.

 

_Maybe you should apologize. Were you too forward? It was just a stupid game and he seemed totally fine up until then. Well, you had no way of contacting him and he probably had no desire to see you again. Oh well..._

 

Suddenly you noticed you were warmer than usual.

 

 

 

 

_You were still wearing Sans' jacket._

 

 

_Hmmm..._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT WILL SANS DO WITHOUT HIS PRECIOUS JACKET!? OHHH NUUOOOHHH!! :D


	6. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans decides shoving is mean and tries to apologize. 
> 
> Apparently the weekend is good for confronting demons and whiskey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ive gotten such sweet comments! You guys make me feel so awesome! I can't thank you enough!
> 
> Trying to get this chapter and the next one posted as close together as possible. I hate leaving cliff hangars without swift satisfaction.

Sans kicked a soda can up and down the block outside of Undyne's apartment building, fuming. He didn't know what made him angrier, the fact that he let himself be put in that position in the first place... or the fact that he sort of wanted it to happen...

When you opened the door, you were... much different than he expected. Here he expected some sort of mini-Mettaton diva... The moment you said a pun, it threw him into a frenzy of confusion. He had an intense desire to impress you; to become your friend and give you anything you wanted. You just radiated this... need to be close to you. He watched as all of his friends laughed and hugged you, like they'd known you forever. 

No, this couldn't be attraction... he decided it was hatred.

He watched you intently as you laughed at Burgerpants' jokes and talked to Bratty and Catty about what was new with them. God, why were you so... happy!? It made him sick.

When Alphys caught him staring and it made him even angrier. She was right. Why did he fucking care so much? Was it because of the fact that your similarities freaked him out? Was it because he was feeling a little... replaced?  
Pfft, of course not. You were just some stupid human who might have a thing or two in common. Besides... he couldn't blame everyone for trying to move on when he was the one who insisted on disappearing...

He paced, contemplating whether or not he wanted to go back in. It was just a game, after all. Would it really have been that bad if he'd just let you kiss him? It's not like it would have meant anything.  
His gut did backflips and he growled in frustration, kicking the can so hard it flew behind some bushes and caused whatever animal was back there to cry out and run. It startled him a bit, making him calm down a little. He pressed his hand to his skull and sighed. Okay, maybe he could have handled that situation a little better.  

No one in that room really knew what happened between him and Toriel. Even with his new resolve to try and move on and make things better... it was still a little too soon for some things. Was it delusional for him to think that if he kissed someone else... even as a joke... that it would destroy any possibility of them maybe one day getting back together?

Well, even that was an untrue statement. In Toriel's mind, she had just met Sans face-to-face, so there was no "getting back together." Only starting something new... Sure, they were already close from sharing jokes through the door... but it was nothing compared to the eons of memories Sans held in morbid comparison. Even mathematically, harboring any hope with such staggering disproportion was just ridiculous. Still... Sans couldn't help how he felt. 

 

 

 

He heard a groan from down the street and turned around, seeing you in his blue parka, walking away. His heart sank. If you were leaving, he must have ruined the entire party. He opened his mouth to try and call after you, but couldn't find his voice.   
Instead, he was struck with the desire to follow you. Creepy? Maybe. ...Fuck it. He told himself he only wanted his jacket back.

 

He quietly stalked as you turned a few corners. Your building was surprisingly close. You only turned back once... feeling as if you were being followed. You dismissed it as the remaining buzz and fiddled with your keys. 

 

Sans watched from around the corner as you shut your apartment door. Well... what now?  
He stood in front of it for hours, in deep thought, arguing with himself on whether or not it was worth waking you up for his... jacket. This was so stupid... what was he doing?  
An idea struck him. He quickly ran out of the building and down the street.

 

\------------------------

 

 

 

You woke up to your phone buzzing. You stirred and stretched, feeling the oncoming headache with a whimper. Your finger swiped the answer button and hit the speakerphone option.

"Hello! Is this Scarlet?" said a cheery voice. You tried to shake off the morning funk and looked at the phone again. It was Toriel.

"Oh, y-yeah! Hey, Toriel!" you cleared your throat and tried to sit up. It had been a while since you'd heard from her.

"I'm so sorry to ask you this, but Undyne is not answering her phone and I have a bit of an emergency." she said with nervous laughter.

"Sure! Is everything okay?" you said, looking at the clock. It was now 11:30am.

"I need someone to watch Frisk while I attend a school district meeting. I know it is last minute, but I should only be gone a few hours."

"No problem at all! I was planning on asking the kid if they were busy today anyway! I have the day off. I'll feed them and everything." 

"Oh, thank you! I'll be over in about an hour!" she cheered.

 

You hung up, suddenly feeling much better.. but maybe still in need of some ibuprofen.

 

 

 

 

You threw on a black tank top that had the back shredded to look like a ribcage, letting a white sports bra peek through, and some Hellsing pajama bottoms.You threw your hair up into a messy ponytail and tied on an apron. You figured making some cookies and grilled cheese would make Frisk die of happiness. Toriel seemed like the type of mom that would never let them eat junk. They were also foods you always had in the house because you were really a 5-year-old trapped in an adult body. Cookies would take longer, so you started on those first, taking out the tube of dough. 

You'd gotten a batch done, and started rolling the next ones in cinnamon and sugar, turning them into chocolate chip snickerdoodles. There was a knock at your door. 

Huh, that was fast.

You grabbed a cookie to hand to Frisk and went to open it. 

 

Sans stood in your hallway, wearing the same outfit as last night, with a few cups of coffee in a cardboard carrier He was looking very flushed.

"um... hey." he mumbled, looking at the floor.

You tried not to look so shocked and leaned against your doorway. Deciding not to question him knowing where you lived for right now, you smirked, taking a bite of the cookie in your hand and waiting for him to say something.

"i'm... sorry about last night." he said. 

"Uh- _huh_..." you said, arching a brow and taking another bite. Sans rubbed the back of his skull and looked very frustrated. It's like everywhere he looked felt awkward.

"look... i don't do this often so... i don't really know what i'm doing. or if this is even a normal thing to ask, but..." he rambled, "can we like... start over?" He finally met your eyes with crushing humility and handed you the coffees. 

You suddenly felt a little guilty. Honestly, you didn't know anything about this guy save for what other people have said out of frustration and most of that was negative. You had no idea what his life was like or what he'd been through. A little disappointed in your lack of empathy, you sighed and took the carrier. You were better than this.

"Are these _all_ for me?" you chuckled.

"i don't really drink coffee and i didn't really know what you'd like so.. i just asked for whatever was popular." he said, blushing a bit. You chortled and grinned.

"Do you like cookies?" you said, returning to your kitchen and leaving the door open. You set the coffees down on the counter and picked each one up, smelling them.

"uh, yeah. what kind?" he said, still standing in the hallway.

"Chocolate chip. Though, the next ones look kind of funny..." you said with a smile. You picked, what you assumed was, the vanilla latte and opened the lid to dunk another cookie in it.

"funny how?" Sans said, hesitantly walking in and closing the door behind him.

"They're _**snicker**_ -doodles." you said with a sadistic grin. Sans looked at you with that same possibly-offended expression, only this time it curled into a smile with a half-chuckle.  
"What?" you asked.

"you just... i don't know..." he sighed and walked over to the cooling rack to take a cookie.

"Let me guess: ' ** _I remind you of someone_**.'" you said in a mocking tone. You took another coffee-soaked bite. "Fucking _everyone_ here has said that since they've met me. I don't know who this mystery girl is, but I can't **_wait_** to meet her. Like, jesus, it's starting to freak me out a little."

Another shocked look formed on Sans' face.. then he busted out into hysterical laughter. You smiled nervously at his amusement. His head dropped onto his arm on the counter, then he just slipped onto the floor, holding his torso and howling. 

"What did I say??" you asked, starting to laugh yourself. Sans sat up and took a bite of the cookie, still snorting and chuckling.

"don't worry about it." he smirked. "that's the most amazing thing i've heard all week. that's all." 

You decided to drop it.

"Wanna watch something while I finish this up?" you said, grabbing the remote and activating the youtube app on your TV. 

"sure." he said, grabbing another cookie and heading to your couch. 

 

 

 

 

You both watched some fail videos, laughing at the same moments while you got the second batch in the oven. You took off your apron and threw it in the pile of dirty clothes in your room and joined Sans on the couch. You both punned back and forth and started to relax.

 

 

 

The doorbell rang. 

Sans looked up at you and you grinned.

"Frisk!" you gasped and went for the door.

 

 

 

 

Sans gulped.

 

 

 

 

_That meant..._

 

 

 

 

You opened the door and squealed, hugging Frisk and picking them up. 

"Thank you so much for doing this. I'll... just..." Toriel said trailing off and looking behind you. You looked back, wondering what made her look so shocked. Sans stood in front of the couch with his hands in his pockets, looking equally shocked.

"Oh, I have some company, but he's cool. Is that okay?" you asked, not sure if she approved of her kid being watched by someone she might now know. Toriel looked back at you.

"It is.. I-It is perfectly fine, dear." she said, her voice shaky. You put Frisk down and they ran to Sans, giving them a big hug.

"hey, kiddo." Sans greeted, patting their head. You looked at Sans inquisitively. "we've met." he stated.

"I packed a dinner for Frisk, just in case my meeting runs late." she said, moving past you and into the kitchen. 

"Cool!" you said. "I'm gonna change really quick, be right back!" you said, going into your room. The tension was unreal in that room and you had no idea why. You opted to just throw on some jeans instead of your pj's.

 

 

 

 

"......"

"......"

"... You look well, Sans." Toriel finally said.

"thanks." he responded. A million emotions rushed through his mind... but funnily enough, it was nothing he was expecting. He had played this scene out a hundred times and every one involved him tackling her with a hug and begging her to forgive him and.... here he stood, hoping she'd... leave?

"I did not know you and Scarlet were close." she said, almost bitterly. Frisk looked back at her with a leer.

"heh... actually, we just met last night." he said. Toriel's eyes widened. Frisk looked back at him and wiggled their eyebrows a little. Sans suddenly realized how that could easily be misinterpreted. "n-no! nothing like that! she was at a party at undyne's and we were just hanging out-"

"It is none of my business what you choose to do with your time, Sans." she said flatly.

"it's not like that, tori." he insisted. She visibly grimaced at his informality. 

[The two of you need to grow up...] Frisk signed, walking to grab a cookie. Toriel frowned at them, then looked back up at Sans.

"She's a very sweet girl. I ask that you please be cautious. No one wants to see her hurt."

"i told you, we just met!" Sans shouted as you came back into the room, awkwardly closing the door behind you. Both Toriel and Sans looked away, blushing deeply. Not really sure what was going on, you set your attention to Frisk.

"... So, kid! Do you want some lunch?" you chimed.

[Please! I'm sooooo hungry!] they signed, jumping around. You crossed over to them and picked them up, opening the fridge and secretly asking what cheese they wanted.

 

 

Toriel sighed.

"It was... nice to see you, Sans." she admitted genuinely. Sans smiled, relief washing over his face.

"yeah... same." he sighed.

"I'll be back soon, Scarlet." she instructed, heading towards the door.

"Sure thing~!" you sang, as you and Fisk both waved.

 

The door shut and Sans collapsed onto the couch as if he'd been gut-punched. Frisk squirmed to get down, and you let go. They ran to Sans and squished his face between their hands. Sans looked at them as if he were about to cry, shaking his head. Frisk squished his face harder and forced him to nod instead, their face showing a smiley determination. Sans sighed and began nodding with them, smiling. Frisk stood back, hands on their hips.

"thanks, kid. good talk." he laughed, rustling their hair. 

 

You're not sure what you just witnessed, but it was so confusingly cute you were sure had the stupidest smile on your face. Frisk came back over to you, grabbing the cheese out of the fridge. Sans got up and went into the bathroom.

"So... Anything going on I should know about?" you asked Frisk. They were a kid, sure, but kids were way smarter than most adults give them credit for.

[They used to be together.] they signed, rolling their eyes.

_Yikes.... Looks like you'll need more cookies... and drinks._

 

 

 

 

 

You made them both a few grilled cheeses with chips and cookies. They sat on the floor and watched a cartoon Frisk suggested while you laid on the couch watching the both of them fondly.

[How was the party last night?] Frisk asked Sans.

"it was good. i'm thinking about working with alphys at her gig." he said, mouth full of sandwich.

[You should. You need to get out more.]

"you need to mind your own beeswax."

Frisk flicked him off. You snorted and started laughed. You loved that kid. Frisk grabbed their phone and texted you. You pulled your phone out of your pocket.

[What do you think of Sans?]

"Um. He's okay I guess."

Sans looked back and forth between the two of you. You winked at him. 

[What do you think of Scarlet?] Frisk asked Sans. Sans cleared his throat. 

"i don't know. i think she might be trouble, but its too early to tell." he winked back. "what do **_you_** think of her, boss?" he said, shoving them a little.

[I think you were made for each other. Honestly, it's scary sometimes.] You didn't really catch it, because they signed it really quickly. Whatever it was, Sans grabbed Frisk and gave them an aggressive noogie.

"you've got a **_lot_** of opinions lately, kid..." he said through gritted teeth with a nervous laugh.

"What?? What'd they say?" you said.

"kid says they like you, _right kid_?" he said with a menacing grin. Frisk shoved him away and nodded with a smirk.

[ _Wuss_.] Frisk signed to Sans. Sans shoved them harder and they laughed.

 

 

 

 

 

It was time for Frisk to be picked up, but Toriel was late. Really late. Like it was already 8:00. You'd texted her several times, but there was no response. Sans and Frisk migrated around you. Frisk cuddled against your torso and Sans sat on the other end of the couch, leaning against the arm. You were almost done binge-watching a new anime.

There was a knock at the door.

You got up to answer it, noticing Sans tense up as you passed him. You opened the door to see Asgore, looking a little sad.

"Hello, Scarlet. Is Frisk ready?" he asked.

"Yeah...  Is everything okay with Toriel?" you asked, looking around.

"She.. suddenly felt ill. Again." he said meekly. Frisk pulled on your hand, already ready to go.

[Thanks for hanging out!] they signed.

"Any time, kid." you said, planting a kiss on the top of their head. 

"Thank you for watching Frisk." Asgore stated, grabbing Frisk's hand and gently leading them down the hall, asking them if they had fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You shut the door and turned back, seeing Sans staring at the floor from the couch. 

"You okay?" you asked, leaning on the wall.

"yeah." he said, looking back at you with his fixed grin.

"I didn't know Toriel was your ex..." you said, hoping it wasn't too bold to say.

"yeah..." he sighed.

"That's rough, buddy." you said, pushing yourself off of the wall and walking to the kitchen. You pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured some over ice. You walked over and handed him a glass, grabbing a pillow and hugging it beside him.

"what are you doing...?" he asked, looking at you smiling on the other end. 

"Waiting for you to vent." you smirked, taking a sip and maintaining eye-contact. Sans looked at the glass and swirled it.

"i'm not sure i'm up for that." he said softly.

"Meh. Suit yourself." you shrugged and started scrolling for something else to watch.

"it's nothing personal." he sighed, trying not to be rude. "i just... barely know you."

"I mean, that can be a good thing though. Sometimes a third party viewpoint can be valuable in pointing out what the real problem might be. Like a new perspective." 

 

Sans sat up straight and downed the whole glass, grunting. Your eyes widened.

"Dude! That was good shit! Don't just scarf it!" you whined. Sans' eyes met yours with an intense stare. He moved closer, making you suddenly feel intimidated. He studied your face, seeming to be trying to decide something. Your eyes darted around.

"Sans...?" you said softly, blushing a bit. Sans closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He fell back against the couch.

 

"she hates me." he said plainly, shaking the ice in the cup at you, asking for more. You stood up and grabbed the bottle, carrying it over. You had a feeling you'd be finishing it.

"Why?" you asked, sitting back down and refilling his glass.

"its... a little hard to explain." he took a sip. "i decided to tell her the truth about something. something she was unaware of for a long time. it's not like i was lying to her... i just... it was something that wasn't really that important until we came to the surface."

You wrapped your arms around your legs and rested your chin on your knees, listening intently and taking the occasional sip.

"when i told her, she flipped. like... _she lost her mind_. she said for me to stay away from her, so i did."

"Why?" you asked, finishing your drink and pouring another. Sans blinked and looked at you, confused.

"what do you mean, ' _ **why?**_ '"

"I mean, I don't know. It just sounds like you love her a lot. You don't seem like the type that gives up that easily." you shrugged. Sans took another large sip.

"you don't know anything about my 'type.'" he growled.

"HA! Whatever you say, dude. You were so determined to apologize to me that you somehow found out where I lived, which I don't remember telling you, by the way. AND got me, not just one, but FOUR coffees to make sure you got your point across."

There was a long pause.

"it's going to sound crazy..." he trailed off for a moment for another pause.  
"she and i have been... let's say... on-again off-again for a long time. more than a long time..." he finished his drink and you poured him more. "... the problem is that she doesn't remember a lot of it."

"Does she have a condition...?" you asked with concern.

"I guess you could say that... it's sort of funny... now that i'm saying all of this out loud, it occurs to me how unfair it is that she acts like i was in control of that..."

"Right? That's something not a lot of people understand. It's sort of like, I've heard couples bitch about how ' _Oh nooo, he forgot my birthday!_ ' or ' _He doesn't remember the thing I said 5 years ago on a Tuesday_!' but I mean... It's the most draining thing in the world having to live in a one-sided world like that. They don't know what its like to wake up and suddenly having someone who you... **_fucking. love._** act like they've never seen you before. It's really... fucking heavy."  
You rambled a bit, feeling yourself getting a little tipsy. Sans' raised a brow.

" _do **you** know what that's like_...?" he took another sip, eyes fixed on you. You suddenly felt very vulnerable and started looking at your glass, refusing to look up.

"More than you think..." you mumbled. "...but we're talking about you right now. So.. yeah..."

He saw your demeanor change and was slightly taken aback. He'd never seen you act anything but chipper ever since you'd met. Curiosity flooded his mind, but he felt like that was a conversation for another day.

"back to your original question," he said, breaking the silence and finishing his drink again, holding it out for a refill. "i don't really know why i didn't chase her. i wanted to. i really did. there were some days that stuff got really dark and... i was tempted to go to her house and just... i dunno. beg? but it was this weird cancellation. the more i wanted to try, the more i didn't want to try at all. i was just... done. with everything." Sans felt himself getting a little tipsy as well.

"So you just abandoned everyone." you said flatly, pouring the remainder of whiskey into your glass with a pout.

"pretty much, yeah." he said, sounding a little agitated at your frankness.

"How do you know Frisk?" you were suddenly curious. Sans' head fell back against the couch.

"that's an even harder question to answer." he laughed "...the kid was able to break the barrier and get us all up here. before that they stayed in the underground for a good while. years. tori's been their mother figure since they've met. for a while there i was a part of that family, so... it's a little _complicated_. frisk is..." he paused, looking for the words. "...frisk is probably the only other person who knows everything about tori and i. he knows about her... ' _condition_ ' and is the only one who gets me, really. papyrus is my bro, and i love him more than anything, but the kid and i have a very... _very_ interesting history..."  
  

"So... you were Frisk's  ** _Bone Daddy_** at one point?" you said randomly, giggling at yourself and shifting the mood completely. Maybe you were a little more than tipsy. Sans' expression was hard to read, like utter shock and awe. He snorted and then began laughing loudly.

"that was awful. what the fuck..." he said, catching his breath.

"Suck my **_coccyx_** , **bone** head! I'm awesome at puns! I ought **_tibia_** tutor!" you laughed with 'come at me' arms.

"i'll be honest, scarlet..." he said, with a chortle. "you're the hardest thing to understand i've run into in a while."

"__________" you said with a smile.

"...what?" he said, smiling back.

"My name's _________. Scarlet is just my stage name." you knocked back the last of your drink and growled, satisfied. 

"________..." he repeated back, offering to take your glass.

You handed it to him and he put them in the sink. You looked at your phone and realized it was 11:45. Even though you wanted to stay up because you have yet another glorious day off tomorrow, you felt really heavy from the whiskey. The responsible adult in you was saying you shouldn't throw your sleep schedule off to much. You stood up and felt suddenly really woozy, tripping over yourself and falling over, giggling.  
Sans moved over to you, reaching to catch you, but didn't make it.

"you okay there, bud?" he said, laughing with you. You rolled over and smiled up at him.

"My brain is telling my body to sleep, and I think it's a little too eager..." you giggled. 

"need any help?" he offering his hand. You took it. He hoisted you up much faster than you had anticipated and it made your head spin. He caught you when you nearly tripped again.

"why are girls always **_trippin'_** over nothin?" he joked. You laughed harder and leaned your forehead against his clavicle. 

"I need my bed please." you said, pointing to your bedroom door. You squealed as he swept you up bridal style and carried you to your bedside. He plopped you down carelessly, making your head spin even more. You made fake vomit sounds and laughed.  
"Not cool! I'm just a human! I have a stomach that betrays me if I'm not careful!" you laughed, play-hitting him.

"hey! that's no way to thank someone." he sneered, grabbing a pillow and throwing it over your head. You hugged it and rolled over.

"Have fun on the couch!" you teased. Sans blushed and blinked for a moment.

"y-you want me to crash here?" he managed to stutter and slur at once. You rolled back over to face him, still hugging the pillow. Your eyes were the only things visible.

"Duh." you said, muffled through the pillow. "I'm not letting you drive like this, stupid."

"i didn't drive, i walked, _dumbass_." he retorted and smiled.

"Whatever, then. Offer stands. I'm sleepy, though, so make your decision fast so I can pass the fuck out, pleeease." you said, taking your hair down and shifting the pillow behind you.

Sans thought about it for a moment. Honestly... the only thing he was really worried about already happened today. Toriel assumed he was involved with __________, even though she had no grounds to prove it except a stupid misconstrued line on his part. So... fuck what anyone else thought, he resolved.

"sure. i guess whatever takes less energy is always fine with me." he shrugged. "see you in the morning." he turned to walk out of your room. You had to think fast, but you managed to stretch your hair-tie and launch it right at the back of his skull. It bounced off and he stopped dead in his tracks.   
You howled with laughter and rolled around your bed. "SCORE!!" 

Sans looked back with a vicious grin. His eye flashed blue for a moment and suddenly your comforter engulfed you and you fell off the side of your bed with a squeal, tangled in a blanket nest.

"'night, ________." he chuckled and hit the lights, closing the door. 

 

You were a little stupefied by what just happened, but your head was getting heavier by the second. Sleep claimed you, snuggled in your blanket nest on the floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sans laid on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. He was comfortable, but his mind was racing. He knew he shouldn't stay up two nights in a row, but today was so full of... surprises. The strangest feeling was probably the calm he felt right now. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel so weighed down. Venting was probably the best decision he'd made in a while, even if it was vague... He looked at his phone and scrolled through reddit for a while, waiting to get tired.

 

Two hours later, he thought he heard your voice for a moment. He concentrated. A few soft whimpers came from behind your door.

  
_Were you... crying?_

  
He sat up and listened a little more intently. 

Suddenly, you _screamed_. 

Sans jumped up and ran to your room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rolls around in angst and FLUFFY FLUFF!*


	7. Sunday Funday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your last day off before you return to work! Guess that means more Hijinks!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 4 am and I'm finally done proof-reading. If I notice a single typo, i'm gonna punch a wall. hnnnngh....

_"You think you're worth a damn thing?" they shouted._

 

_Their grip tightened around your neck._

 

_You gagged and choked, grabbing at their hands._

 

_"You think I don't go through 30 girls like you in a month?"_

 

_They eased up and slammed you back against the wall._

 

_You desperately tried to scream._

 

_"I could just stash you in a ditch somewhere, and who would even miss you, huh? Who would notice, _______!  WHO?! You don't have anyone."_

 

_You choked through tears._

 

_He was right..._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sans opened the door, walking in to see you on the floor, clawing at your neck, coughing, and hyperventilating.

 

"______!" he said, kneeling next to you. He was hesitant to touch you. When he and Frisk had night terrors, it was likely they would lash out if they were startled awake. **_"______!"_** he called again, hoping it would be enough.

You continued to scratch at your neck. He didn't want you to hurt yourself.

 

"______, come on." he coaxed. He gently grabbed your wrists and you shrieked. Instead of fighting him, you tried to rip yourself from his grasp. Your eyes flew open and he let go. You clumsily crawled backward until your back was against the wall, your chest heaving in a panicked frenzy. Sans stood and took a step towards you. You whimpered and your body jolted, flinching. Your eyes darted around the room.

 

"hey... shhh, hey." he whispered. "you're okay..." He walked towards you and sat in front of you. The world slowly started to piece itself back together. It was Sans. The sight of him made you a little uneasy. His pupils had a glow to them that was far more noticeable in the dark, which was a little... odd. You tried to catch your breath, but it refused to work with you. Wiping sweat from your brow, your head tilted back and hit the wall. You stared at the ceiling with tears starting to fall.

 

"Shit... oh my... g-god... I... I didn't... mean to... wake you..." you panted, but your lungs wouldn't calm. Sans moved your arms to cross over themselves and hugged you tightly. Your breath hitched and you trembled.

 

"breathe with me. _one_." he took a deep breath. You tried to mimic him, but your lungs kept spasming.

  
" _two_." another deep breath. That time it was a little easier.

 

" _three_." The last one was longer, and he held you tighter.

 

"one more time, okay?" he hummed.

 

You nodded. 

 

" _one_." You were getting the hang of it.

 

" _two._ " Better.

 

" _three_." You both breathed in deeply. He held you for an extra moment or two, making sure your breath returned to normal, before slowly letting you go. 

 

 

 

You took a deep breath on your own, closing your eyes and grounding yourself. Opening your eyes, Sans was looking at you with a concerned smile. You looked down, feeling extremely awkward and embarrassed. You opened your mouth to say something but Sans cut you off.

 

"you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. you can't help those kinds of things... so don't be embarrassed. happens to the best of us." he shrugged, leaning back on his hands.

 

"Thanks." you said softly, balling up and dropping your head to your knees. You looked at the clock. It was almost 3:00am.

 

"you okay to go back to sleep?" he asked, reaching for your comforter and standing up.

 

"Maybe." you said with a tired laugh.

 

"if not, i totally get it. we can watch a movie or go for a walk or somethin'." he put the comforter back on your bed, but spread it with minimal effort.

 

"Normally I'll watch something crazy boring until I pass out on the couch."

 

"wanna switch, then?" he said, offering to help you up. There was a part of you that was a little disappointed he didn't suggest you watch it together, but you sort of wanted to be alone anyway.

 

"Sounds like a plan." you said, standing with your knees still feeling shaky. You grabbed your pillow just before Sans plopped down onto your bed with a sigh.

 

"Thank you..." you said, shyly.

 

"don't sweat it, kid. what are friends for?" he rested his hands behind his skull and winked at you. You smiled and shut the door. You still felt somewhat mortified, but... he seemed to be well versed in taking care of this sort of thing. Huh...

 

 

 

 

 

 

A documentary on the coffee trade put you right to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You woke up to someone rapping at the door. Reaching for your phone, you checked the time. it was 10:15am. Dammit, you didn't want to sleep in today... You also saw you had 3 missed calls from Undyne.

 

A dozen doorbell rings followed more knocking. You grumbled and rubbed your eyes, shuffling towards the door.

 

 

 

 

Opening it, Undyne leaned against the frame, looking suave with a majestic smirk.

 

"Morning, sunshine!" she cooed, holding up a blue slushie and taking a sip of her own orange chilled treat. Your jacket and pants that you left at the party hung over one of her arms. You grunted and took the slushie, turning around and signaling for her to come in. "What did _you_ do last night? You're normally up before me." she laughed.

 

"Hold on... I'm still loading... Give me a minute..." you said, rubbing your eyes and going to the bathroom to get some painkillers. Undyne saw the empty bottle of whiskey on the floor.

 

" _Damn, girl!_ Didn't you just buy that last week? Are you doin' okay?" she said, sitting on the couch. You gulped down some pills with the yummy slushie and felt better knowing relief was nigh. 

 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've been nursing it, don't worry." you grumbled, sitting beside her with an exhausted sigh.

 

"Good... I wanted to call you yesterday and see how you were doing. You never texted me." she propped a foot up on the couch and took another slurp.

 

"Oh, sorry. I was roped into babysitting Frisk n stuff. Yesterday was weird, dude." you said with a small smile.

 

"Not as weird as Sans, right?" she chuckled. "I spent all day yesterday taking Alphys on a date to try and get her mind off of it. She was so scared that you guys hated each other and we'd never see either of you again. But, whatever. That asshole probably went back to his hidey-hole. Probably won't hear from him for-"

 

 

 

 

She stopped when she heard your bedroom door open and Sans emerged, yawning and scratching his skull. He and Undyne locked eyes for a moment of silence.

 

"Morning!" you chimed. "Did you sleep okay?" Sans looked back and forth between the two of you. Undyne's expression couldn't have been more ecstatic.

 

"uh. yeah. how about you?" he said, leaning against the doorway.

 

"Dude, I passed out." you said stretching. "Do you want tea or something?" you got up, taking another slurp and crossing to the kitchen.

 

"sure." he said, eyes following you, then looking back at Undyne, whose grin was now dripping with curiosity.

 

 

 

 

{You dog...} she said in Japanese, resting her face on her palm.

 

{um... it's not what it looks like?} he replied in the same language, though his accent was nowhere near as fluent as hers. 

 

"Oh god, Sans, not you too!" you groaned and glared at Undyne, who nodded towards you. You returned to your mission to make Sans some tea.

 

{Hey, punk, I don't blame you. If I weren't madly in love, I would _absolutely_ hit that.} she grinned. {I mean...} she gestured towards you. Sans watched as you reached for a cup on one of the taller shelves on your tippy toes, the small of your back arching and uncovering itself, accenting your curves. Sans looked back at Undyne's smug face with a frown.

 

{i just came to get my jacket back.... and to apologize...} he said, looking at the floor. Undyne looked a little surprised. He looked back up with a smirk. {ended up helping her watch Frisk. it's been a while since i'd seen the kid. it was a good time.} he shrugged and smiled.

 

{What about _this_...?} she held up the empty whiskey bottle.

 

{the kid left and we... i dunno. bonded?}

 

{ _ **Yeah** you did_.} Undyne said, wiggling her eyebrows. 

 

 

 

 

You walked over and handed Sans a mug and returned to your seat.

 

"So, what should we do?" you said, mixing the remainder of your slushie into something drinkable. 

 

Undyne, silently mocking Sans with her eyes, took another slurp and shrugged. "It's your last day off before you disappear into Mettaton's glitter storm, right?"

 

"Yeah. I'm a little excited to get back to it, though." you finished your drink and rested your arms on the back of the couch, facing the two of them.

 

"Well, I was thinking you haven't really seen any of the cool stuff in Tokyo yet because of work, so... Wanna just have a tourist day?" she said, tonguing her straw.

 

"That sounds amazing, actually!" You stood up. "What do you think, Sans? Wanna go for round two?"

 

Undyne nearly spit her drink, trying not to laugh. Sans glared at her for a moment, but looked back at you with a smile.

 

"sounds cool. s'not like i have anything else to do. the 'hidey-hole' isn't all that exciting." he said, watching Undyne's smile fade into embarrassment.  
"i do wanna change though. so, i guess, text me when you guys decided where to go first."

 

"Awesome! I'm so excited!" You went into your room, but remembered something. "Oh! Your jacket!" you whispered. You grabbed it off of the pile of clothes and handed it to Sans.  
"I believe this belongs to you." you said cheerily.

 

He cocked his head and smiled. A few hours ago you were a panicked mess on the floor, shaking like the world was ending. Now you're making tea and getting excited as if nothing ever happened. It did nothing but peak his curiosity more. His heart was still too shaken to think of anyone romantically, but he was still hit with the overwhelming desire to know you. It was attraction, but different than anything he'd felt before. He just... really craved to be your friend.

 

"thanks. i'll see you guys soon." he put on the jacket and winked at you. When he opened his eye, it flashed blue and he **disappeared**. You gasped and looked over at Undyne like a hyped toddler.

 

" _WHAT!?_ " you gestured, cupping your hands over your mouth.

 

"Yeah. He does that." she said, slurping the last of her slushie loudly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\---------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You put wore some nebula patterned leggings and a crop-top that was custom shredded vertically from the ribcage down that had the beginning mantra for SOUL EATER written on it. You threw a black-lace shawl over it and slid on some knee-high boots. Your hair was in a messy bun with a small black headband keeping the stray hairs in place.

 

Undyne decided to take you to a park completely covered in cherry trees first. She had already texted Sans and was now scrolling through any possible non-seafood restaurants around. Even though she knew her genetics were obscenely different than the fish humans eat, the concept still unsettled her beyond belief. 

 

"hey, guys." you heard behind you suddenly. You both jumped a little, making Sans laugh. "haha... never gets old."

 

 

 

The three of you walked through the park, observing couples having picnics under the pink trees and kids running around with streamers. It was absolutely beautiful! You bought everyone some cotton candy in the shapes of various flowers and walked over to a bridge, looking at each other's reflections and bantering about the beauty of everything.

 

 

 

Next was a shrine that was so pristine, you felt bad just being there. You were in constant awe at how clean everything was in Japan. It was like even the forests had custodians of some sort! You enjoyed the faint ringing of glass bells in the distance and moved through the tour with a bright smile. No wonder people loved this place. Everything about it was centered on ceremony and balance.

Sans liked watching you and Undyne discuss Japanese culture and how it paralleled to some of your favorite characters in a few animes. It was funny how Undyne used to think anime was human history, while you felt as if it was based on the history of the monsters that had reduced to myths over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starving after all that walking, you decided it was time for lunch at a restaurant where all of the waiters were very muscular men. Undyne insisted. You ordered an impressive amount of food that Undyne assured you she would finish. Sans ordered sake for the table. You all clinked your tiny glasses and sipped. 

 

"So, you're telling me Crocodile could take on Gara in a fight?" Undyne scoffed.

 

"Um, of _course_. Crocodile's the man! Gara's just a whiney bitch. That's an easy one." you retaliated in between bites. Sans just sat and observed. He had no idea how much he missed.. _this_. Just _being_ out.

 

"sounds like a **_gritty_** situation." Sans smirked, sipping his sake. You both looked at him.

 

"Oh, you wanna go right now, skelebro? I'm not sure you wan't me to publicly **pun** ish you." you taunted.

 

"that's skele ** _pro_** , thank you very much. i'm not sure you're ready for a high **_steaks_** match with me." he said, forking a thin slab of steak to dip in some sauce.

 

"Oh my god, please stop." Undyne snorted. Sans maintained eye-contact with you and bit down on his fork. You were struck with intrigue when you were pretty sure you saw fangs.

 

"...Can I... ask you guys some stuff?" you said, suddenly feeling a little shy. Sans and Undyne looked at each other.

 

"Sure. What about?" Undyne said, taking in a mouth full of rice.

 

"Monster stuff. I'm sure you've heard all of this before. But I don't want to pry or be too.. bold or something." you said, stirring the soup your ordered. Sans leaned on his hand and smiled at your timidity. 

 

"shoot, kid." he said, eyes half-lidded teasingly. You were sure he knew you felt stupid. Assface.

 

"So, I rarely see like.. more than one of the same type of monster." The two of them nodded, waiting for you to continue. You fidgeted with your napkin. "So its like... we have the _species of human_ , but we have different races. The only difference though is skin color and maybe some slight feature changes." you continued, sipping some sake.  
"I guess I'm wondering about like... orientation. You and Alphys aren't, what we would observe, as the same species. So, I guess I'm just wondering what drives attraction?"

 

Undyne thought for a moment.

 

"Like why do I _personally_ love her? Or what to I like about her physically?" she said, trying to understand. Sans' eyes flicked between the two of you observantly.

 

"Okay so... Generally if you mate two completely contrasting species in nature, kids can't happen, or if they do its generally bad and they don't survive. So, they tend to stick to their own kind. Additionally, there are things, carnally, that attract them to each other. Like pheromones or some shit for most animals. Humans tend to be cosmetically centric, focusing on like... I don't know, breasts for girls and abs for guys. Those are just some examples, but..."

 

"OH!! Oh! I know what you're trying to say. Yeah. Monsters are different. Everything that happens with us is generally magic-based. So, appearance doesn't usually matter on that front. It's way more soul-centric." she said, scarfing down some veggie tempura.

 

"Soul-centric?" you questioned, sipping more sake.

 

"Yeah. We are attracted to our partner's souls. Once we latch on to someone, the desire-driven physical attraction just comes as a bonus. I don't think we're wired to find anything more physically attractive than another. I mean we can 'mate' with just about anything, but that's not the same as what you're saying right? That's more of a 'fun' thing, unless you've had a soul connection. Then it's some next level shit." she said, mouth full.

 

You were still a little confused.

 

"monsters don't reproduce through mating. that's called 'pro-creating'. its when monsters magically fuse a piece of their souls together and create new life. the kid ends up being some type of mix between the two usually. that's why there's so many different ones. it's pretty rare when the same type of monster is created over and over again." Sans interjected, pouring you more sake.

 

"So in that case, gender doesn't matter at all."

 

"why would it?" he raised a brow.

 

"There's always a way to please someone." Undyne winked. You contemplated this for a moment, staring off into space. Humanity was so weird. You wished that were a normal thing; To disregard physical appearance and just rely on what someone's soul has to offer. It was just so poetic. You smiled and blushed, looking down at your soup. 

 

"i take it the soup's good?" Sans teased. You kicked him under the table making him laugh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The three of you headed back to Undyne's place after that. Alphys was ecstatic to see Sans and shocked to see the two of you together and getting along.  
You and Undyne played MarioKart while Sans and Alphys discussed more details about the job opportunity she had for him. Overall, a great way to wind down after a very interesting weekend.

 

You hugged the happy couple goodbye and promised to save your next day off for them. Sans was suddenly smothered in a double hug.

 

"I'll see you at the lab tomorrow~!" Alphys said, waving goodbye. Sans waved and the two of you started down the street.

 

 

 

 

 

"Thanks for coming today. It was a ton of fun!" you said cheerily.

 

"yeah. this was the best weekend i've had in a while." he sighed happily. 

 

"Are you excited for Papyrus to come back?" you said, walking backward in front of him. Suddenly Sans was reminded of the relationship his brother was in. His smile faltered a little.

 

"meh... i might need to have a talk with him." he grumbled.

 

"Why?" you scoffed, half expecting that response.

 

"just some bro-talk. not really sure they have my blessing, is all." he shrugged, the subject getting a bit touchy.

 

"What's wrong with Mettaton?" you said a little too defensively. Sans stopped and so did you.

 

"he's just so...ugh..." Sans said, shuddering. 

 

"What's so 'ughh' about him?" you said, mocking his shudder. Sans looked at you with a frown. It was frustrating him that he knew every answer he was thinking of was petty, and you would see that. For some reason he had a hard time telling you anything but the truth.

 

"i just... get a terrible vibe, okay? he's so conceited and just... from this world i'm not sure i want paps involved in. it's like why would he want _papyrus_ out of everyone? for some sort of novelty? i just don't want to see paps get hurt." he said, looking down. You saw the concern in his face get more and more intense... but for some reason it made you laugh. You slapped a hand over your mouth, horrified of coming across as rude.

 

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I'm not making fun of you." you said, face-palming. "It's just I keep forgetting that you only see Mettaton on TV."

 

Sans glared at you. "so what?"

 

"It's TV, dude. I'm a completely different person when I'm on stage, wouldn't you say?" you said, batting your eyelashes. 

 

"well... sure, but-"

 

"That's _show business._ Instead of working in an office or a store, I chose to sell experiences. When you're on camera or on stage, you are there to give the audience what they want. Unfortunately, that means having an over-saturated amount of confidence so that people want you. Want to **_be_** you, even. It's part of the craft." you said practically.  
"Mettaton is the most generous person I've ever met. He's a little... _extreme_ , sure. But he really sort of... saved my life." you smiled and played with the hem of your shawl. "He loves your brother. He has for a while. As for why, I can't say for sure because I don't know Papyrus very well, but from what Mettaton says it's because he's so loving and devoted to the people he cares about. Especially you." you took a step towards him.

"That being said, wouldn't you want Papyrus to be with someone who really loves him and was even willing sacrifice going public for the sake of **_your_** feelings? They're good _to_ each other and _for_ each other when you really think about it. Perfect, even."

 

 

 

Sans just stared at you in confusion.

 

 

 

You looked at each other in silence for a moment. You hoped you hadn't said anything to make him upset. 

 

 

 

Slowly his smile returned with a scoff.

 

 

 

"What...?" you said, looking around.

 

"you're just... _infuriatingly_ logical." he smirked.

 

"I try." you shrugged and continued walking. You didn't hear Sans following. You turned and saw him standing there still staring with a smile.

 

"i'm this way." he jerked his head the opposite direction you'd been walking this whole time. 

 

"Well why didn't you say something?" you laughed, rolling your eyes and shaking your head. "Do you want me to walk you back?"

 

"nah. i know a short-cut." he winked. You stuttered.

 

_That was your line._

 

He turned and started walking away.

 

"i'll see you around, ________." he chuckled, and with a blue flash he was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Holy **shit** that's a cool ability._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slurpies, monster sex talks, and confrontations! oh my!


	8. You're on.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You hit the ground running once Mettaton returns. However, you still manage to find time to see your friends. You and Sans have started growing closer ever since you split a bottle of whiskey. Might as well make if a regular thing, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me so long. Someone accidentally closed out my page before I had a chance to save. It also took a while to hide the body and wash all of the blood off of my hands. Please forgive me, my lovelies. *grovels*

 

_The Amazing Scarlet Starlet! - by @adlez-axel_

 

 

 

 

Welp, back to the grind!

The second Mettaton landed, you were emailed your schedule for the next week, and it was insanity. You were to start regularly appearing on one of his game shows as his "Lovely Assistant." You would also be training for a concert tour that was going to start in the spring.   
There were like.. 12 more e-mails going over different costume changes and a diet plan, along with a training regiment. There were also explicit instructions to keep your hair white... sigh...  _Really?_  You pouted as you read that.

The next six weeks flew by.

Training wasn't the only thing that was taken to the next level. The tabloids had an absolute field day with Mettaton's  **Omega Date**  with Papyrus. The two were spotted in Hawaii, New Delhi, London, and Paris. Every photo had them in completely outrageously stereotypical fashion liken to the destination.   
_**"Who is This New Skele-Beau?**_ " was the headline of every popular magazine. Your first thought was how Sans was probably vomiting in his mouth. Can skeletons even do that?   
Your eyebrows flew up when you saw your likeness splashed across one of the articles inside one of the magazines. It was a pretty nice still of you and Mettaton's dance at Papyrus' birthday party. There was a review by someone, who was in attendance there, that gave you outstanding praise; saying they hoped to see more of you. You blushed and laughed to yourself while you read it between breaks during rehearsals.

Working on the show was fantastic and exhausting. Every time Mettaton needed a lever pulled or an audience member to be chosen at random, you were the shimmering garnish that helped him out. You had no lines but were constantly animated, exaggerating every emotion. This was partially because your Japanese was still shitty, but also because you were in and out of random costume changes so fast it made your head spin. In one episode you were Harley Quinn, a siren, Carmen Sandiego, and Maleficent.  _One episode_. Japanese game shows were twice as chaotic to produce as they were to watch. The crowd loved you. Soon you had developed somewhat of a fan club that would cheer whenever Mettaton called for you.

During tour rehearsals, you would be pushed to your limits. Mettaton saw you perform 4 acts in one show, so he decided that would be the permanent spot for the bar of expectation. While you were concerned at first, the routines weren't quite as elaborate as some of your past performances. Mettaton was very adamant on remaining the focal point of the show. You served as an act that would allow him and his team to gear up for his next segment.   
He also boasted about how you were the makings of history. The staff was almost entirely made up of monsters. Occasionally you'd see a human helping with a few technical things, but they were usually 3rd party hire-ons. You were truly the first human ever directly hired by Mettaton, and the first to publicly contribute to his stardom. You were a poster girl.

This came with a little bit of backlash, unfortunately. Undyne wasn't kidding when she said that the rest of the world wasn't on quite the same page as Japan, and even that was a bit of a strained statement. It took and entire year of living in refugee camps before the Monsters were given designated housing. It was another year before they were given rights. Things had calmed down for the most part, but there was still some unspoken tensions hanging in the air, and that was their resident country. Across the pond, America was completely split. It was pretty much what you'd expect whenever something new strolled along into the light. There were people who were absolutely accepting and people who were convinced their presence was a sign of the apocalypse. Religious fanatics would send death threats and ill will. Politicians would subtly jab at Japan as the country that would have us all fall into another war. It was hard to watch.  
Your place in all of this really struck you when you started receiving fan mail. You hardly had the time to go through all of it, but the few you would pick up either filled you with emotions or disgust. It was a healthy balance of "You'll rot in hell, monster fucker!" and "You make me proud to be human!" with the occasional "Please tell me ur single. ;)"

The little free time you had you tried to parcel out fairly between Undyne, Frisk, and the Skeleton Brothers. You had one day off on average that you really had power over. You technically had two, but they were spent at the physical therapist and spa, making sure you maintained the best physique possible. It sounds like a terrible thing to complain about, but you really missed everyone. Undyne and Frisk would come visit sometimes while you were training, but you weren't able to interact with them much. They adored watching you anyway.

 

The only person who was a consistent weekly visitor was Sans. Ever since he'd opened up to you that night he asked you to keep everything you'd discussed between the two of you. It's not like you weren't already going to, but you understood. Suddenly, while texting back and forth, he joked that you should get together for something like that regularly. 

"it's cheaper than therapy" he claimed. Ever since then, you'd been staying up every Wednesday night with him, just listening to him ramble about whatever he wanted, sometimes over a game or a movie you had on for background noise. Sometimes he'd open up again, but most of the time he just... enjoyed talking. Sometimes he'd crash on the couch, but most of the time he went home. Every night, one of you had to buy a bottle for the night that pertained to a title.

 

**Week 1: Rum and Ranting**

"How's Papyrus been since he's been back?"

"good. a little more hyper than usual, but i think he's just happy i'm active. well... more than i have been at least."

"Did he come back with a lot of stories about his trip?" you giggled.

"unfortunately. i listened anyway. i'm trying, okay?" he said, throwing a pillow at you. You caught it and smirked.

"Hey, it's progress." you threw it back and Sans dodged it.

"i guess." he took a big gulp and sighed. "it's a little weird. for so long it was just me n him. i guess this must have been how he felt when tori and i got together."

"He didn't move into Tori's with you?" you sat on the other end of the couch. 

"no. i mean tori and i didn't really move in together. i was just over there all the time. i spent every night there n stuff. i still tried to be there for paps when he needed me, but it's... different when you're with someone."

"I guess I know what that's like. It's happened to a few friends of mine. They like... vaporize. That or their partner is a jerk, so you disappear for them."

"papyrus complained about me never being home after the first year or so. i tried to find a balance. shit's hard. relationships are just... way more effort than people make it look like."

"I wouldn't know." You said finishing your drink. Sans raised a brow and smirked. "How much older than him are you?" you changed the subject before he could even ask.

"twelve... i think."

"You think...?"

"it's hard to remember sometimes. birthdays aren't my strong suit, so what."

"When's yours?" you said, whipping out your phone to mark it.

"i know it's going to sound weird... but i don't remember. heh..." he chuckled.

"Wha- How would you  _not_  know something like that?" 

"classified."

 

That was your conversation safe-word. That was when the subject changed and there was no prying allowed. It was a gesture you seemed to make for him, but in reality you weren't that willing to talk about yourself... to anyone.

 

**Week 2: Bitching and Bourbon**

"i will never understand that." Sans said, balancing two cards on top of a stable house he'd thusly built.

"I'm being dead serious." you were having some trouble getting more than two pairs to balance at once.

"that's such a huge waste of money, though."

"No it's not, it's just how fashion works. Things go in and out of style. When that happens, you change your wardrobe. It's a living art."

"so somewhere in this world there's some giant pile of old clothes that just... keeps accumulating...?"

"I mean, I usually give mine to a second-hand store, but for all I know there might be. When you put it like that, it makes me feel like a plague on the environment."

"according to 'The Matrix' humanity is a virus." he poked fun.

"The only thing viral about me is my SKILLZ!" you finally had three pairs stacked in a pyramid. When you raised your arms in victory, the vacuum of air pulled everything down. You whimpered and pouted, swatting the cards away.

"wow. i've never been more impressed. is there anything you  _can't_  do?" he scoffed while setting up his 20th pair.

"Sing."

"...wait,  _really_?" he smirked. "a performer who can't  _sing_?"

"Yup. Couldn't carry a tune in a bucket." you got up and refilled your glass, then walked to the fridge for more ice. "Or draw, or keep plants alive."

"such a catch." he chuckled. You grinned mischievously and grabbed an ice cube, hurling it at his pyramid. It went through, knocking it down and hitting his arm with a  ***clack!***  
"hey! no need to be so  ** _cold_**!" he said, flinching as you threatened to throw another one. "so... how much skeleton stuff do you own?" he said a little hesitantly, referring to your shirt. You had on a Nightmare Before Christmas shirt with Jack Skellington's scary face.

"Oh, I don't know. A metric fuck-ton, I'm sure." you said going into your room. Sans sat there for a moment wondering what you were doing. "Come see!" you called. Sans got up and you were throwing clothes into your bed from your closet. He caught a shirt you tossed at him and gave you an amused smirk.

"human's are weird."

"Why do you say that?" you said sarcastically.

"aren't skeletons like... supposed to represent death?"

"Sure. But I like creepy stuff. We're all gonna die anyway, so might as well wear whatever I want." you smiled. "It's called 'goth.' Some people take it waaaay too seriously and are all ' _oohh death and poetry!'_  but I prefer the notion that I just really like black and bones."

"oh, really?" he said, lifting his shirt to show his spine and ribs, with an exaggerated sexy eyebrow waggle. You threw another shirt at him and fanned yourself sarcastically.

"Lawd have mercy! You're gonna give me a lady  ** _boner_**."

You both laughed and continued to talk about fashion.

 

 

**Week 3: Wine and... Whining. (Not Sans' best night...)**

"Do you miss anything about the underground?" you said, poking a needle through a button on a costume you'd have to wear tomorrow.

"sometimes." he said, laying on the floor and playing catch with himself with an orange.

"Like what?"

"well. huh. i guess i miss Grillby's." he said apathetically.

"Friend's place, or...?"

"nah. just a sweet burger joint. grillbz set up somethin up here too, but the clientele around here have different tastes. he doesn't sell ketchup by the bottle anymore."

"Was it like his secret recipe?"

"not really." he nearly missed after throwing the orange too high, but regained a rhythm.

"Theeenn... why don't you just go buy your own bottles of ketchup?"

"s'not the same." he shrugged.

"You're so fucking particular- OUCH!" you accidentally pricked yourself. Sans missed catching the orange and sat up.

"you okay?"

"Yeah. Son of a bitch, it was under my nail too. Ugh..." you slipped your fingertip in your mouth and pouted.

"do you  ** _need_** le medical attention?  _ **eye**_ 'm not professional, but i'm sure i am qualified for this  ** _stitch_** -uation." he said a little too casually.

"Thtop bein thuch uh  ** _pwick_**!" you retorted with a grin. You popped your finger out of your mouth and examined it. "It's not that bad, it's already stopped bleeding. I'm just gonna feel it for a while."

"do  _you_  miss anything about the states?" he said, laying back down with his hands behind his skull and looking up at you.

"A ton of stuff." you said, trying to concentrate on threading the needle again. "I miss the death sentence roadside food."

"that sounds like something i'd like."

"Oh, you'd love it. Burger, ribs, and patty melts so greasy you're hands are dripping with the residue when you're done. I also miss road trips. Like driving cross-country. Those are the best times. Never know what you're gonna find." you finished and broke the thread with your teeth, tying it in place.   
"There, finally..." you threw the costume onto the couch and chugged the rest of your wine glass.

"any family back there?"

"........Classified."

 

**Week 4: Venting and Vodka**

"then one time, papyrus made me sleep in his bed with him for like six months straight."

"Aww..." you laughed. You both sat on opposite sides of the couch with some old samurai movie in the background. It wasn't subbed, so you both just tried to make jokes about what you assumed was going on in the plot.

"the first thunderstorm that came through, he was so frantic i had to actually rock him to sleep for the first time since he was an actual baby." he said, while you laughed a little harder.

"No thunderstorms in the underground?"

"i mean... is that really a question? obviously."

"Hey, its a valid question. You said there was snow where you lived."

"eh, touche"

There was a long pause as you both watched the screen for a while. Sans kept taking short breaths as if he was about to say something. You'd learned that if you don't acknowledge it when he shows signs of an internal struggle that it was easier for him to relax and get stuff off of his chest.

"i don't really like sleeping next to people." he finally said softly.

"Why?" you said, eyes still on the screen.

"well, i have night terrors sometimes too." 

"I figured. That night you helped me you seemed pretty experienced." you took a sip, still watching the movie. Sans stared at you. You were oddly casual about that confession. Most of the time people were hugging him and telling him it would be okay. The way you shrugged it off was... refreshing.  
"I assume Papyrus or Frisk probably have nightmares too. It felt like you knew what you were doing." you continued, once the silence got a little awkward for you.

"the kid does, yeah. papyrus sleeps like a rock."

"I'd ask what you dream about, but I'm pretty sure that's classified."

"correct-o mundo."

Another pause.

"i've never really told anyone about them. i usually just avoid the subject until it can't be helped. there's a lot of pity that comes with it that i hate."

"Dude, you saw me become a hot mess on the floor. Honestly, I was afraid you'd bring it up or treat me differently afterwards. When you didn't I figured we understood each other on that front."

You dared to look over at Sans, who was staring at you again. He smiled and raised his glass to you. You toasted and continued to make fun of the movie. 

 

**Week 5: Complaining and Cognac**

"...i really miss her." Sans said, playing with one of your pawns he took while you contemplated your next move. 

"I know. It's pretty obvious." you said, hesitantly moving your knight to take his rook.

"shut up." he said, effortlessly taking your knight with his queen.

"FUCK! Ugh!! Fuck you!" you growled, staring the board down for any way to fuck him over.

"don't hate the player, hate the game." he sneered, adding your knight to his pile of victims. 

"So what do you miss about her?" you said, trying to stay on the subject.

"god, that's a loaded question..." he sighed, laying his head on his arms, laying on his stomach in front of the board. "her cooking, for one." he laughed.

"I can vouch for that. She's made me breakfast." you made your next move, which Sans quickly proved to be futile, taking the piece.  
"Are you shitting me?? You're fucking with me aren't you!!" you said, nearly flipping the board.

"i also miss her laugh... her hugs. tori is the best hugger i've ever met in my life. she's like the embodiment of a pillow." he sighed fondly. "she also has this aura of just... safety."

"Sounds nice..." you said, your head in the game. You made your move. Sans looked up and was thoughtful for only moment, before realization washed over his face.

"checkmate." he said, rolling over onto his back. You flipped the board and groaned. "i take it there will be no round five?" he snorted.

"Fuck you." you said, going to the kitchen to mix your liquor with something.

"i just don't know what to say to her. like ever. it's been a long time, so why won't she just let us move past this...?" he mumbled.

"How long had it been since you saw her at my place?"

"since we got to the surface..." he sighed.

"Seriously? I witnessed the first time you've seen each other since!? It's been almost 4 years and she's still  _that_  hung up on it?" you said almost laughing.

"i know. the more i dwell on it, the less i'm blaming myself at this point." he was staring at the ceiling.

"That's good, I guess. I'm curious... What did you reveal to her that made her freak?" the alcohol was starting to chip away at your filter.

"clas..." Sans stuttered for a moment. "fuck it..." he said, rolling back onto his stomach and propping his head up to face you. "i told her everything about she and i. all of the stuff she didn't remember. i thought she'd be happy with how devoted i was despite everything, but instead... instead she was crushed."

"Huh..." you said, sitting on the couch.

"'i do not want to be with someone who has the ability to make me dance like a puppet.'" he did a poor impression of her, dropping his head to the floor.

"Hm... I guess I can see why that might seem a little fucked up at first on her end." Sans looked up at you with a glare. "Hear me out; If you have memory loss and the person who takes care of you points it out, it makes you feel inferior. Not only that, but people telling you stuff that you honestly can't remember because your brain physically can't retain it has to be one of the most infuriating things I can think of. So if you told her all of these memories she couldn't recall and she's forced to take your word for it, it might not be the easiest thing to have to except on top of feeling inadequate. You know her way better than she could possibly know you and that makes her feel underserving, and probably freaked out."

Sans seemed to get angrier the more you spoke. You nonchalantly sipped your drink.

"That still doesn't justify her grudge, though. It's in the past." you looked away, feeling awkward.

"you seem to know a lot about the subject of memory loss..." he said bitterly.

"...... Classified." you looked at him coldly.

Sans scoffed and sat up, leering at you. He started to say something, then sighed.

"whatever." he started setting up the chess board again.

 

 

**Week 6: Absinthe and Angst**

"Okay, I think i'm doing this right..."

"do i need to pull up a youtube tutorial?" he teased.

"It's not my first time." You'd tried to make a spoon from tinfoil to dissolve the sugar cube over. 

"you're getting water everywhere."

"Shut up! I think I did it!" you held up the glass of absinthe that had a decent louche to it. 

"i've never had this before. isn't it supposed to make you high?" he said, inspecting it.

"Nah, that's a myth. The only time it ever caused hallucinations was when it was bootlegged improperly and contaminated with copper poisoning." You took a sip. "It does give you a pretty killer buzz though."

"interesting." he took a sip and studied the swirl of essential oils.

"So... Can I ask you something pretty deep to start us off?" you said, taking your usual spot on the couch.

"uh... sure, i guess." Sans decided to sit on the floor in front of you instead.

"If Toriel wanted to take you back right now, would you give it another shot?"

Sans looked a little surprised, but amused.

"i... i actually don't know." he said. "i guess it depends on what she'd say."

"You know. Blah blah, confession of lingering love or some shit, blah blah, apology, blah blah."

"wow, that's way more romantic than could have ever imagined! we'd race to the bedroom at that rate." he sarcastically beamed.

"Fine, what would have to happen for you to take her back?" you sat cross-legged, leaning your elbows on your knees. Sans looked down at his drink for a while.

"i... fuck." he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "it's complicated..." You patiently waited as he thought of what to say.  
"it's weird because i feel like... it's what i want more than anything. what i  _wanted_ , at least. lets just say... i told her everything about our past because she... got better? her 'condition' was cured. so because of that, i thought if she knew the truth we could move forward. for a while i wished there was some way to go back so she could forget one more time and i could have kept it all inside. at least then i'd have her..."

"That's fucked up."

"i know, i'm selfish garbage..."

"I mean why would you want to do that to yourself?"

"...huh?"

"Don't get me wrong, it's obvious you're crazy about her, but would it really have been worth it to trap yourself in hell like that?"

"maybe...?" he said, sighing into his hands with a grumble.

"If you held all of that in it would have exploded eventually in some way."

"i know that... but i'm good at holding stuff in. still might have been better than being alone."

"Yeah, but you  _chose_  that."

Sans stood up and clenched his fists by his sides, making you flinch a little. A horrible chill ran up your spine that gave you a familiar horrible hole in your gut. You began feeling extremely defensive. Seeing your expression doused his temper a bit. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. You chugged the rest of your drink. Probably a bad idea, but you needed something to take the edge off. You didn't know why, but the words just sort of fell out of your mouth.

"I can help you get her back if you want." you said softly. Sans' eye flew open and he gritted his teeth, making it very clear he had fangs.

"i don't even know if i want that!" he shouted, making you jump a little. He began pacing. "i waited _three years_ , ________! i waited for her to be ready because she said she needed time! then the one time i run into her completely by chance she does nothing but make bullshit assumptions and whatever. she's just looking for reasons to be mad at me and.... and i don't even care anymore!" He flailed with frustration. "well... i don't _want_ to care anymore..."

"Assumptions...?" 

"she pretty much thinks we've been fucking." he growled. Your eyes widened. Pressing your palms into your knees you connected some dots. That's why she keeps "getting sick." That's why she acts really weird around you sometimes.

 _How **unspeakably** drab_...

Your mind raced for a moment. Can skeletons even _do the **do**_? Well, obviously, since Sans wasn't denying any facts with Toriel's assumptions. You felt laughter bubbling up but tried your hardest to shove it down for fear of making him angrier.

"don't hurt her, sans! she's a precious, sweet, delicate, flower! " he mocked.

"I've been called many things, but 'delicate' is a first." you covered your face, trying to hold back from snorting. No dice. You burst into laughter, hugging your stomach and falling over onto the couch. Sans looked at you with an intense quizzical look.

"what's so funny?" he growled.

"I-I'm sorry...! It's just... the whole thing is so ridiculous!" you panted and shifted to get comfortable laying down. "She's just... clearly still hung up on you. Like, good GOD."

"don't you get it? she pretty much accused me of being a horrible person, just assuming i was going to hurt someone."

"She said that to get a reaction, dude! Women are crazy! That's why once was _enough_ for me." you said, getting up and heading to the kitchen to put your glass in the sink. Sans' eyebrows flew up at that last comment. He wanted to ask about it but forced himself to stay on subject. "Look, next time we all have a get together I'll help you. I'm a pretty good wing man." you smirked.

"i don't think-"

"Just... hear me out. I'll get her alone and make it clear in a very subtle way that you and I aren't involved. Then I'll open a segway wide enough for you two to talk and work this shit out. Trust me." Sans stared at you a moment before grabbing his glass and joining you in front of the sink.

"why do you want to help me...?" he said softly, stepping closer to you.

"Because you're my friend. I like seeing my friends happy." you smiled. "And I'm sure your other friends would like to see you happy, too."

Sans stared at you with half-lidded eyes for a moment. He took another step forward so that you were inches apart. The alcohol in both of you was starting to kick in. Sans reached and tucked some of your hair behind your ear. You only slightly jumped at his touch. He took in your features. Your blue eye was so brilliant in contrast to your brown one that was so dark it almost looked black. Your lips were extremely pale without any make-up on and you had a very subtle dust of freckles no one would see unless they were this close to you. He could feel the genuine concern in your soul and it made him hungry to know more about you. He liked talking to you and being able to hear your completely outlandish thoughts that dragged him out of his angst and into reality. Though, it did make this friendship seem a little one-sided. He was struck with an idea.

"fine. but let's make a bet over it." he said with a smile. You crossed your arms.

"Fine. What are the stakes?" you asked.

"if you're right about this, you win. if it's a disaster, then i win."

"Yeah...?"

"Whoever loses has to answer 3 questions without any _classified_ answers." he grinned, knowing he struck a nerve. You looked like he'd just asked you to kill someone, your cheeks going pale and brow furrowing.

"Not sure I like those stakes." you said shakily.

"chicken?" he teased. Oh hell no.

" _Fine_! You're on!" you said, holding out your hand. He grabbed it and you both gripped. His hands were much warmer and smoother than you'd anticipated. You let go. "I'll have to think of some reeeeally good ones." you said with a devious grin.

"oh, i'm way ahead of you there. be afraid."

 

Sans went home shortly after that. You had no idea what you'd gotten yourself into, but now you wanted to help him get Toriel back more than ever. It was time to formulate a battle plan. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had intended to make this chapter a lot longer, but like I said, with the murder and all time was tight and I didn't want to rush! Your patience will be rewarded, I promise! I loves yous guys! <3


	9. Now You're Really One of Us.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's your birthday this week and Mettaton has decided to give you a kingly gift! A gift that has never been bestowed upon humans, until now!  
> Afterwards, Sans discusses the setting for the bet to take place. There will be a party later tonight that Toriel will be hosting. No escape this time Goat Mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. AM. SO. SORRY!!  
> Things got craycray there for a second, but it's died down a bit. I'm already working on the next chapter. I hate making you guys wait!  
> Also, your comments were so awesome last chapter guys. I was an ugly ball of grateful sobbing. You are the best readers a girl could ask for.  
> Fer srs.

 

_Her Soul - by @shadow_bunny_

 

 

The next week you didn't have time for a Tempers and Tequila session. You huffed about it, being proud of the title you wouldn't be able to use until next week. Rehearsals are just too insane this time around. 

Plus... it was your birthday this week and Mettaton had a "surprise" for you. You usually kept your birthday on the down low. You've never been much of a receiver, so an entire party in your honor was just overwhelming to think about. You had a hard enough time accepting gifts as it was.  
You tried to pry about your gift all month, but Mettaton was a vault. He only expressed that you would love it. Later, he confessed it was a bit of a selfish desire because it would help you contribute to his show better, but it was something very few monsters had access to and only one human. You were very intrigued. 

 

 

The big day rolled around and your morning email consisted of specific instructions to not eat until after your appointment this afternoon. You were starting to get a little nervous as you saw that the address was to a lab for monster testing. What exactly was Mettaton planning...? You threw on a baggy t-shirt and some yoga pants and headed out. Your stomach growled, but you weren't sure if it was from anxiety or hunger.   
Your taxi pulled up to the tall glass building and you went inside. There was a tree-monster and a human woman behind the desk in black uniforms. You signed in and sat in the waiting room, filling out a few forms for medical history.

"H-Hey, Scarlet!" Alphys called, waving and holding a clipboard. Your face lit up, not expecting to see her. She looked super professional in a lab coat with a spotted dress underneath.

"Hey!" you got up and hugged her.

"Are you ready?" she asked with an excited grin.

"I'm not really sure what to be ready for, so... I guess?" you shrugged and laughed. You followed Alphys through a few hallways and into a huge lab space. There was a window overlooking a room with a few interesting looking machines centered around a patient bed. You swallowed hard, starting to really feel nervous. Was Mettaton trying to get you plastic surgery or something?  
Alphys opened the door to a really nice bathroom that felt very homey in contrast to the cold mathematical feel of the lab. She went to a cabinet and pulled out a paper gown, handing it to you.

"G-Go ahead and dress down. When you're done, we'll get you onto the table and begin checking your vitals." She seemed in her element here, which was a side of her you'd never seen. It was really adorable.

"Alphys, what exactly is about to happen to me?" you laughed nervously.

"We're going to install some summoning implants. I-I'm really excited! We've been working on ones that cater to human soul frequencies and the results have been outstanding. You're the first one to get the finished product!" she geeked out, holding her face with glee. Your face went a little pale, not sure if you liked what was happening. Maybe with more explaining you'd feel better. Still, you wished someone was here to hold your hand or something.

You stepped into the cold floor with your bare feet, walking on your tip toes to try and make as little contact as possible. Alphys guided you into the room with all the machines and told you to sit on the patient table. You sat there, swinging your feet and looking around, playing with the hem of your paper dress. A door opened from the other side of the room and Sans walked in wearing a black turtleneck, a lab coat, and some black jeans. You'd never seen him look that semi-formal before and you almost burst into laughter. He seemed really surprised to see you, so you tried to act casual.

"You look like a fuckin' nerd." you snorted. He blushed for a second, but it turned into a malicious smile.

"and you look like my next victim..." he said in a husky growl. Your smiled snapped off and you blushed, blinking wildly at what he could possibly mean.

"Alright, you two," Alphys said from behind the window over the intercom. "p-play nice! Sans, go ahead and set up the sensors." she instructed.

"go ahead and lay down." he said, reaching for some wires with sensory stickers on them. You suddenly felt very shy, slowly laying back, your body becoming stiff. Sans reached for your hand and you jumped, pulling it away from him with a jolt. He looked a little concerned at first, but laughed softly.  
"first time being a lab rat?" he joked. You nodded sheepishly and looked away. "don't worry, i would never let anything bad happen to you. drinking buddies are hard to find. just try and relax." he said, reaching for your hand again. You smiled nervously and hesitantly let him take it. Sans ran a thumb over your palm for a second, feeling your calluses.  
"you have the hands of a lumberjack." he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah... My poor hands go through a lot I guess..." you smiled weakly. He put a pulse sensor clip on your finger tip and started sticking some of the pads to a few specific spots on your arms and head. He grabbed the last two and wavered. 

"can... you untie your two front ties please?" he said professionally. You untied one of 3 ties on the front of your gown and pulled the slit open slightly, revealing the space between your breasts. Sans stuck the last pads at the top and bottom of your sternum. You smirked. "what?"

"You're blushing."

"i don't know what you're talking about." he said, grabbing a large sleek metal dish that was rigged by a mechanical arm to the ceiling and centering it above you. You started to look really worried again.

"Am I gonna get probed?" you joked nervously.

"nah, not today." he scoffed. "we're just going to run some diagnostics on your soul." he started switching some knobs around and writing something on a clipboard. The machine turned on with a gentle hum.

"S-so... when am I going to be let in on what a 'summoning implant' is...?" you attempted to mask your anxiety but the crack in your voice betrayed you. Sans looked over the clipboard and his smile faded for a second.

"no one told you about this?" he said, drumming his fingers on the clipboard. You shook your head and frowned.

"It's... my birthday today. Mettaton said he got me a present and told me to show up here. Alphys mentioned something, but I still have no idea what's going on." you said, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. Sans looked up at Alphys through the window and shot her a glare.

"Hey! Don't look at me! I didn't know Mettaton didn't tell her." Alphys protested. Sans signed and pulled up a rollie-chair beside you.

"okay, where to begin..." he said, placing the clipboard on a tray and stroking his chin. "so monsters naturally have magic abilities, i'm sure you know that." he began. You nodded, avoiding eye-contact.  
"well typically when it comes to summoning things, it's genetic. papyrus and i can summon bones, toriel and asgore can summon fire, are you following me?" You nodded again, but this time he cupped your chin and tried to direct your gaze to him. He seemed pretty serious about knowing you were paying attention.  
"so back when i was a ' _fuckin nerd_ ' full time, i worked on a project on how to artificially create weapons that could be summoned through soul frequency. it was my first one, in fact."

"So... you wanted to make a way to make artificial weapons, I guess?" you said, trying to follow.

"very good. A+." he patted between some sensors on your head. "we were able to develop a remote device that feeds off of certain... i guess the only thing to compare them to in this world would be 'emotions.' undyne has an implant to enable her ability to summon spears. mettaton has a few, too. hell, even i have one." he said, like he was giving you a pep-talk.

"Have you ever done this to a human, though?" you said, twisting the hem of your dress.

"humans were both easier and a little more complicated. monsters only really use their soul for most things. human's have this.. brain element that is a game changer. its sort of like... if you were a computer, your brain and body would be the hardware, like the screen, hard drive, and keyboard. meanwhile, your soul is the software, like the programs that make it run and stuff. so... it's easier in that there are physical things to tweak in order to make things happen, but its harder in that connecting the two remotely can take some... i guess calibrating? we've already had a few volunteers for testing. it went well, though. way better than expected. we've only done things that would count as 'cosmetic.' like we wouldn't give people the power to summon weapons who might abuse it, sure. but during the testing we were able to mess around and adjust the density and force capabilities. results were pretty promising." He took his clip board back and continued writing.   
"you're the lucky winner who gets the first weaponizable summoning implant." he clicked the pen closed and returned to the screen with several readings appearing on it. 

"....Am I getting surgery for this?" 

"yeah. its very minor. just a small incision to place a biochip. alphys is really good at it though, so don't worry."

"Wait, you're not going to do this?" you said, almost child-like.

"nope. i'm a physicist, and i've only just started studying biomechanics for humans. alphys is way more skilled in that. it'll be a while before i do any of the dirty work. i'm just better at working with souls and frequency dynamics. Sort of the family business." 

That made sense, you guessed. 

"How would I go about summoning something...?" you asked, trying to wrap your head around this.

"it's typically synced to a very specific frequency... or... i guess 'feeling.' usually the one that you seem to have the most control over. for example, we would avoid frequencies like rage or fear. we don't want someone to get bad service at a restaurant and end up accidentally throwing energy weapons everywhere and making a mess."

The way Sans explained it without any cracks in his confidence made you feel a lot better. Maybe even a little excited.

"So am I getting spears like Undyne?" your voice perked back up a little.

"we can actually make it whatever you want." he chuckled.

"Can I have skulls that charge at people like they're gonna bite them?" you were pretty excited now. Sans chortled.

"as much as i want to say yes, it says in your chart that you have a specific order that i'm pretty sure mettaton is responsible for."

"What did he want?" you sighed, a little disappointed.

"stars." 

You shrugged, thinking that was appropriate enough. 

"What color will they be?" you said, finding excitement again.

"depends on the color of your soul." Sans walked towards you and pulled the metal dish a little lower. "so, think of this like an x-ray machine for a second. stay still for a while. maybe just close your eyes and try and take a nap. i'll be back in a few minutes." he places the pen between his teeth and raised a brow. You smiled and took a deep breath, closing your eyes.

 

 

Sans straddled a chair beside Alphys and looked at the screen reading your soul's different levels. He rolled the pen around in his teeth.

"W-Well... she's certainly passionate and disciplined." Alphys said, pointing to one side of the sensory signature. "Very loving, too. Her compassion and empathy are p-pretty solid."

Sans nodded fondly with a small smile. What else was new? 

"Oh... O-Oh my god, Sans." Alphys said, pointing to another area. "Her depression... her nihilism... it's u-unusually high, don't you think? H-How is that proportionally possible...?"

Sans looked at the numbers closer. It was fascinating. Most humans would have a consistent balance with certain emotions depending on what point of the spectrum spiked. Like if anger or rage were prominent, it would associate with fear and depression. Sort of blending into each other like a color spectrum would, only on a scale from joy to despair. It was rare to see such extremes from opposite sides of the spectrum have similar levels of disproportion. 

"huh..." Sans sighed, trying to appear just as confused. Truth be told, he'd already gotten a small glimpse of your soul the night he held you. For a very brief moment he felt your pain and knew it was only the tip of one hell of an iceberg. This only confirmed his suspicions that you were definitely keeping your past from him for whatever reasons. It only made him more curious. The thought of winning the bet made victory that much more attractive.

"W-Well... It seems like she has the most control around this area of the spectrum..." Alphys pointed to the area around determination and passion.

"ambition. that's... perfect." Sans smirked.

He wrote the appropriate readings down and pushed off of the desk and rolled to the other side of the lab where some sort of 3D-printer sat next to a large computer screen. He entered the numbers and the machine began birthing a clear iridescent strip. Alphys walked over to a refrigerator and pulled out a capsule that had, what looked like, some sort of contact lens shaped chip floating in liquid. Sans lifted the finished strip with magic and gently sealed it into a container. 

 

You had finally found a nice comfortable mental state that was thrown off when Sans and Alphys entered the room with a few trays and objects. Alphys set a few things on a tray and rolled it towards you. She turned around and went to wash her hands in a nearby sink after donning a surgical mask. Sans stood by your side.

"we're going to put you out for about a half hour. you doin' okay?" he said, gently taking some of the sensors off and tying your gown back up. 

You nodded, but looked a little nervous.

"i'll be right here." he said sweetly. A very, _very_ strange sense of comfort and defensiveness washed over you. Sans grabbed a surgical mask and covered his smile, walking over to the sink when Alphys was finished. They grabbed an anesthetic mask and cupped it over your mouth. You took a few deep breaths and floated away into dreamless darkness.

Alphys pinpointed where the motor function was for your right eye and made a small incision. Slipping the gel-covered chip underneath your skin, she gently pressed it down with her tools until it laid perfectly flat along your skull. Pleased, she stepped out of the way and let Sans heal you, leaving no trace of a scar. Sans stood above you and focused, hovering his hand just above your chest. He beckoned your soul out.  it hovered between you and his hand. He looked at it in awe.

It was a very pale yellow with flecks of white swirling around. Sans just stared at it. Alphys cleared her throat. Sans looked over.

"Should I leave...?" she said with suggestive eyes.

"fucking hell, al. she's unconscious. that's not even funny." he said, flustered. 

"I-It's a little funny." she snickered. "Anyway, if you stare much longer, sh-she's going to wake up regardless."

Sans remembered that fact and lifted up the delicate strip out of the container with magic. He levitated it towards your soul. The strap gently fused horizontally, leaving a silvery stripe around it. He focused and coaxed your soul to return to your chest.   
Like clockwork, your eyes fluttered open. You felt... a little odd, but you weren't sure if it was the anesthesia or the procedure.

"hey, you." Sans said, slipping his hands in his pockets.

"Success...?" you whimpered, sleepily.

"W-we'll see once we test it out!" Alphys said, happily taking her mask off. "It'll need about 2 days to sync up, though. So, you'll need to take it easy and I'll p-prescribe you some pain killers just incase you get any headaches."

"Does Mettaton know I need to take it easy?" You hadn't received any notices about schedule changes.

"If he doesn't he will. No drinking or drugs other than the prescription until then, o-okay?"

You nodded and Sans helped you off of the table. He waited for you to get changed back into your clothes and offered to get you lunch. You hadn't eaten since the night before so you accepted with enthusiasm. He told Alphys that he was taking his lunch break and she smirked, eyes half-lidded with a sly nod.  
Sans shook his head, hung up his lab coat and guided you out of the building.  
The building next door has an amazing sandwich stand in front of it. You and Sans sat on a bench catching up about the past week for a while before he finished his BLT and sat to face you.

"so... there's a house warming party for Asgore and Toriel tonight." he said with a grin. You looked over mid-bite, caught a little off-guard.

"Oh! Really? Wait... they moved in together!?" you mumbled, mouth-full. You suddenly felt like the odds weren't in your favor for your little game. At the same time you felt a little embarrassed that you've been so caught up in work you weren't able to keep up with your friends' lives as well as you'd like to.

"no. well, technically. it's a duplex. Asgore wanted to be closer to Frisk and Toriel can't say no to the kid, so they got one together, but still live separately."

"Oh." you swallowed, feeling much better. There was still a chance. "Good. I'd hate for my plan to fail because she rocks the boat." you teased.

"well, I figured if we're gonna do this, we should arrive separately." he leaned on his palm.

"Duh. Just show up fashionably late like you always do."

"sounds good. I just wanted to double check since you just got this implant that you felt up for it. it shouldn't affect you physically, other than maybe a migraine, but sometimes the impact of the situation is enough to exhaust someone. I'm not interested in a handicapped wager." he watched your face intently waiting for an answer.

"I feel fine." you shrugged. "There's nothing to accept, really. People already think I'm weird, so this is just a nice upgrade into the realm of Freaky-Deaky. I'll be able to hold my own tonight." You finished your sandwich.

"good. great. that's good." Sans shifted in his seat and stood. "i'll see you tonight, then."

"Yup." you summoned a taxi with an app on your phone. "I look forward to our next therapy session." you stuck out your tongue.

"I'm sure." he grinned and strolled back towards his building.

 

 

You arrived home and went into your bedroom, standing in front of your full-length mirror. You didn't feel that different and certainly didn't look different at all. Your phone buzzed and it was Mettaton calling.

"Hey, boss!"

"DARLING~! How did it go?" he mused.

"Went well. Alphys said I'd need to take the next two days to recover, though." you winced, unsure how he'd take that.

"Hrm... Well if I know anything about how long my syncing took, I'm surprised it's that brief of a recovery time. Alphys must have improved her craft." he sang.  
"Well, darling, just make sure you go over a few of the Mettaton Theory lessons that I'll forward you while you have this down time. Also, try and focus on learning more Japanese." he teased. He'd gotten you a program to use, but you still barely had the time for it.

"Aye-aye, sir." you hung up.

 

Your thoughts quickly focus onto the party. Toriel would be hosting, so that would give you enough of a reason to talk to her more than anyone else without seeming suspicious. While you only knew Sans' side of this story, you were pretty sure there was an untapped element of longing between them that, with just the right tweak, would let you drive them like go-karts.  
Feeling more confident by the second, you put on a fluffy white-lace blouse with a low-rise black skirt that stopped mid-calf that let your waist-line peek through. You threw your hair up in a wholesome braid and slid on tome short black boots. You looked like a domestic baby-doll, but it was better to look non-threatening tonight.

You started to feel a slight twinge of pain in your head. Deciding to nip this in the bud, you went ahead and popped one of your pills and hoped it wouldn't get worse. You intended to bring your A game tonight. You were ______! Champion of the Wingmen.

 

_It's Beautiful - by @adlez-axel_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have some TORIEL TIIIME!! Gird your loins.


	10. Showdown to Throwdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's GAME TIME! How well can Reader play match maker for Sans? I guess we'll find out. Lets see if she can.... get his goat!! :D :D :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry.  
> (hehehe HeHEhehehehahaHAHAHAHAA!!!)
> 
> So I have been getting a ton of fat art! YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE! I love you all! I'll post links when I can get them posted!
> 
> Also, clarifying; Reader does have a pretty fucked up past. I had to make her relatable to Sans and that sort of takes... a lot. I wanted to archive some of the tags as Warnings, but that would spoil the mystery. Instead i'll put a warning before the chapter for whatever might be revealed with potential to trigger.

Toriel sat at her desk in the principal's office. She let out a long drawn-out sigh after thinking about what tonight might mean. She actually sent invitations to Sans willingly. What was she doing? She looked down at her cup of tea and thought back to that day...

She walked down Mount Ebbot, softly sobbing. This was just... _so much to accept_. How had the happiest moment of her life plunged into despair in meer moments. She collapsed at the edge of the forest and released a desperate cry. She finally had a child's love again. She'd met the man she'd been falling in love with for months. She finally saw the sun, and a new life ahead of her. She wished she could go back. She wished Sans had never told her...

Now she knew that her child wasn't a child at all. Only an aged and tormented soul trapped in a tiny body. Was she even qualified to care for them? Did they really need her to? It was all so overwhelming. 

Who was she... What was she... to anyone?

 

When the Monsters were granted permission to build camps at the base of the mountain, Toriel was like a ghost that silently followed Frisk everywhere. She watched as they expertly negotiated terms and policies with politicians who only appeared to be 4 times their age. The Chairmen all loved Frisk, reveling in their level of intelligence and enlightenment for a child. Toriel only watched intently, trying to support them. Weeks went by before Frisk finally woke her up one night, sitting at the edge of their bed.  
  
"Frisk...?" she mumbled. "Are you alright?" she sat up. Frisk stared at her, then sighed.

[I love you, mom.] they signed. Toriel looked at them strangely.

"I-I love you too, my child." she said, patting their head.

[You've been quiet. For weeks. Are you alright?]

"No." she said, honestly. "I am sorry to have worried you, but things will get better, will they not?" she tried to force a smile.

[I don't want you to be afraid of me.] they signed, watching her face for any flecks of dishonesty. [Are you?]

"I... No." she said, sitting up straighter. "You must understand. I am so conflicted. I am so lost as to how to raise a child who has likely passed my levels experience a dozen times..."

[I do.] they scooted closer. [You need to understand that you've been my mother for most of my life now. Even when children grow up, they need their mother. My age has nothing to do with how much I need you and it never will. I know you've asked Sans to give you space...]  
Toriel's expression went from joy to sadness in moments.  
[... so I am only asking for your sake if you need the same from me.]

Toriel sighed. Seeing her sweet Frisk speak to her like an adult was still very unsettling. 

"No, Frisk. I think you and I will be alright. It is hard enough that we all have to settle into this new life. I would be a fool to push my own child away." She smiled.

[How much time do you think you'll need from Sans?] Frisk asked, their expression almost scolding. Toriel gripped her blanket and gritted her teeth a little.

"I don not know... and I do not think I shall find out until the time comes." she sighed. "But when it does, the most I will be able to offer him is friendship."

[That's perfectly understandable.] Frisk sat up and hugged Toriel tightly.

"Would you like to stay with me tonight?" Toriel offered.

[Yes, please.] Frisk shuffled under the covers and Toriel held them close, drifting to sleep.

 

The monsters were finally granted housing in a designated district after a year. Toriel did her part organizing a school and making a life for herself. Frisk didn't attend the school. They mostly stayed at home and read their own textbooks when they weren't meeting figureheads with Asgore. Asgore had been spending a lot of time around the house. Toriel tried to avoid him when he was there, but would still cook for them despite her irritation.   
She would always feel a strange presence when she would grocery shop or walk home. She could have sworn she kept catching glimpses of Sans out of the corner of her eye. Sans had kept to his word and hadn't contacted her at all since that day. There were days where she almost... longed for him. She missed sharing jokes and confiding in him.... But those thoughts would only remind her of the bitter truth that every joke he told her was probably a result of studying which ones would make her fall the fastest through years of trial and error. Frisk would ask her at least once a month if she'd forgiven him yet. She would only shake her head and say nothing more.

Another year passed and Asgore requested they two of them go to dinner to talk about... things. Toriel didn't bother dressing up, not wanting to send the wrong idea. The conversation was very light hearted and serious when it needed to be. Asgore didn't beg nor did he grovel. He simply asked Toriel to forgive him and politely requested they be friends. They had both known the pain of loss and Frisk had grown very close to him. The tension made things uncomfortable and he thought it was time to set things straight.  
Toriel was hesitant, but agreed. Frisk deserved a father again.  
Frisk didn't ask about Sans very often anymore. They almost seemed angry with her. Toriel wanted to bring the subject up herself, but was terrified of opening that can of worms... She secretly wished he would just show up and beg her for a chance. There were times she would stare at her phone contemplating calling him... but never did.

Another year and Monsters were finally granted the right to integrate with the humans. It took a few months to adjust to a few new concepts. By now, everyone was pretty well versed in the language and culture. One of the unforeseen obstacles was Frisk's need for a guardian. Not because they couldn't take care of themselves, but because it was strange to see a child on their own in this world. Toriel had never had to make sure there was a Babysitter present at all times before. Frisk didn't seem to mind though. They loved seeing their friends.

When Toriel dropped Frisk off at your apartment that day, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Sans. There was a part of her that wanted to weep and embrace him, yet another that wanted to take Frisk and run. A completely different emotion took over that she didn't see coming. Wild and unbridled jealousy.  
Why was Sans in **_your_** house... 

Sans' poor choice of words forced her mind to run wild with prejudice. **She** was supposed to be the monster he couldn't live without, the one he knew **more**  than he could ever possibly discover about anyone else. Why was she feeling this way!? It took everything in her to control her words.

Toriel left your apartment and went to her meeting. It only lasted a few hours, but she couldn't bring herself to return to that apartment and see the two of you... _together_. She pleaded with Asgore to pick Frisk up for her. He tried to console her, asking her if it was wise to avoid Sans after so many years. He shared that her decision to avoid Papyrus' birthday party solely because Sans might be there made he and Frisk very irritated with her. She was above this petty behavior. Toriel refused to be rational and locked herself in her room.

 

Frisk returned home and knocked on her door furiously until she answered.

[Sit down. I'm done with this game you insist on playing.] they walked past her and sat onto her bed, patting the spot beside them.

Frisk scolded Toriel for over an hour. 

[I am going to need you to let it go.] they signaled frankly.

"I... I suppose you're right..." she said tearfully.

[I promise that Sans still cares for you. But he has every right to try and move on when that's what you decided to do, wouldn't you agree?]

She clenched her fists. Frisk was right and she hated it.

[At this point you're only hurting yourself. Lets do something that might prove to you that you can move past this.] Toriel looked down at her hands.  
[We haven't broken in our new house yet. Maybe we could throw a housewarming party?]

Toriel sat in deep thought for a moment. Maybe it would be fine? It had been a while since she'd seen everyone at once. She'd skipped out on most of the events that were held, staying behind to focus on running her school. The more she thought the less excuses seemed to appeal to her anymore. 

"Yes. That sounds like a very good idea." she said through a nervous smile. Frisk smiled back and hugged Toriel tightly. The two of them had a lot of fun planning everything. Frisk was so excited to be able to send Sans an invitation. Things were looking up.

 

 

\--------------------

 

 

You straightened your skirt and balanced the huge vase of flowers on your hip. Frisk answered the door, hugging around your waist, nearly making you fall over.

"Hey, kid!" you chimed. Frisk took your free hand and guided you in. They directed you to a table to put the flowers down and brought you into the kitchen where Toriel was working on the last batch of hors d'oeuvres.

"Oh... Hello, Scarlet!" Toriel said, brushing some flower off of her face. "The flowers look lovely! Thank you!" she said, transferring the mini-butterscotch pies onto a serving tray.  
You looked around but didn't see anyone.

"Am I the first one here?" you said, watching Frisk run upstairs for something.

"I'm afraid so. Do not worry, they aren't very punctual, our bunch." she sighed, powdering some cinnamon on the tops of the tiny pies for a garnish. You suddenly felt Frisk's hand tug at your skirt. You turned and were presented with a Flower... with a face. A Flower that had eyes that were looking you up and down with a cynical frown. Frisk shook the pot a little, suggesting you take it. You hesitantly took it and the Flower continued to stare at you.

[This is Asriel! He's my best friend.] Frisk signed. You looked back at the Flower who was leering at Frisk as if it had just been insulted.

"N-Nice to meet you." you stuttered a little bit. 'Asriel' heard the uncertainty in your voice and looked back an you with an eerie smile.

"It's been so long since I've met another human." it said, cocking its head to the side.

"Asriel, mind your manners." Toriel warned, the Flower flinched at her voice.

" _You never let me have any fun..._ " is grumbled, its face shifting to a much more terrifying one. You quickly handed the pot back to Frisk, who set it down on a counter. Asriel's eyes stayed fixed on you. 

"Toriel...?" you started, clearing your throat. "I was hoping I could actually talk to you about something." You maintained eye-contact with the Flower for a while before trying to turn to face her. 

"Yes?" she said, handing Frisk the tray of pies. You waited until Frisk left to the living room.

"I don't think we've had any real time to get to know each other." you leaned against the cabinet.

"I believe you are right." she smiled nervously, starting to tidy the kitchen.

"It feels like I already know you somewhat. Sans doesn't talk about anything else." you quipped, taking whatever you could from the counter to the sink to help her. Toriel's expression was indescribable.

"He... speaks about _me_ to _you_?" she said softly.

"Oh yeah!" you smiled. "He tells me all the time about how awesome you are and how you like puns too, your cooking n stuff..." you continued to compliment her on Sans' behalf but her train of thought was teetering between joy and sadness.

"That.. hardly seems like an appropriate topic of conversation when you are..." she trailed off looking flustered.

"....When I am what...?" you looked genuinely confused.

"You and Sans are... courting. Are you not?" she was visibly sad now. You couldn't help but burst into laughter. Asriel and Toriel both looked at you with uncertainty.

"No... oh my god NO." she said with a snicker. "He's awesome, but no." you sighed, "He's my friend." Toriel looked distrusting, but her face noticeably lit up at this information. 

"Interesting." she said, putting the dishes in the sink.

"I'm not so bad at puns myself." you say with a smile. Toriel looks over in response and closes the dishwasher.  
"Why did the farmer's crops fail?" Toriel couldn't resist and leaned against the counter with an inquisitive smile. "Because he didn't seem to **_CAR-ROT-all_**!" you delivered the punchline with too much laughter than was probably deserved.  
Toriel chuckled softly, then it slowly built to a full-on laugh. The both of you laughed together for a nice moment before Asriel interrupted.

"Oh _JUST_ what this house needs! More insidious humor!" it hissed. Toriel leered at Asriel, who looked away flushed and frowning. She looked back up at you with a sweet smile. 

"Would you like some tea, dear?" she chimed. You nodded and the both of you sat in the living room for a while, talking about cooking and puns. She really was the sweetest. Everything Sans said she was. You were confident.

 

The guests trickled in a few at a time. Everyone save for Mettaton was there. Undyne and Alphys brought wine, despite this being a dry party, but assured they would wait for Frisk to go to bed first before opening it. Frisk was riding Papyrus' shoulders around the room as Asgore cautioned them to be careful. You greeted BP and Blue again and caught up with them for a while before you caught Sans in your peripheral. He was wearing a red collar shirt that was open casually with the sleeves rolled up, revealing a black t-shirt underneath, all under his blue parka, with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and sneakers. Asking the boys to excuse you, you walked up to him and greeted him warmly.

"so... uh.... have you talked to her yet...?" he said nervously. His fingers drummed on the side of his cup of punch.

"I have, indeed." you smiled knowingly and took a sip of yours. "I think you should brace yourself for some introspection. Next week will be _Tempers, Tequila, and Takin' Your Ass to School_." you teased, winking and taking another sip.  
Sans looked you up and down and grinned. He began to sweat a little This was it, then. He separated himself from you and watched for Toriel to wander off alone. Eventually she grabbed the empty pie tray and headed to the kitchen. Now was his chance. He chugged the rest of his drink, which he wished were spiked with something, and slammed his cup down.

 

 

Toriel hummed as she cleaned the tray and placed it into the dishwasher.

"hey." Sans said, clearing his throat. Toriel gasped with a start and turned to see Sans sitting on the kitchen island casually with a cheeky grin. She blushed and backed into the adjacent counter.

"Sans, my word! Do not frighten me like that." she pressed a hand to her chest and caught her breath.

"heh... sorry." he shrugged. There was a pause before he went for it. "How have you been?" he smiled. Toriel smiled back.

"Well." she looked off to the side. Sans' grin faltered for a moment. She seemed really happy with him. There was no recoil, no jabs. He began to feel... strange.

"s'good." he said, his smile returning.

"I'm happy to see you." she said, straightening her posture. Sans gulped. _What's happening..._  
"I was hoping that we could possibly talk about... a few things. If I may."

"shoot." Sans nodded. He began to sweat.

"Sans..." she sighed. "I would like to apologize for my behavior the day I saw you at Scarlet's apartment. It was absolutely uncalled for and you did not deserve it."  
Sans tried his hardest to try and remain composed. Nothing about this moment was going the way he thought it would. Why? Why was he angry that this was going ... _well?_ He began fidgeting with the edge of the counter.   
"Also," she continued. "I... feel very horrid about the last three years..."  
Sans' expression had faded into one of serious intent. Here it was.  
"Please say something..." she said softly, taking a step forward and looking at his fidgeting hand. 

"uh... i-i accept your apology." Sans said softly. What he had envisioned over and over again as butterflies in his stomach formed into a pit. He began to sweat a little more, starting to fear what else she might say.

"Oh, wonderful." she sighed and smiled. She took another step until she stood only a foot away from him. "I was hoping that maybe," she stepped even closer. "we could try again perhaps?"  
Sans started leaning backward, his grin reforming out of nerves. This moment was gift wrapped. Custom ordered by his good friend who promised she would make it happen and she did. If this had been a few months ago, he would have leapt into Toriel's arms and given her the most passionate tearful kisses he's ever given... so what the fuck was going on?

 

Toriel patiently waited for Sans' answer while his eyes darted around the room with equally frantic thoughts. **_He_ ** made this bet. He even bet **_against_** himself. He made a wager of the **_one thing_** he'd longed for in exchange of opening up a new level of depth with you. He wanted a reason to tear down your walls. _Why? **Why.**_  

It dawned on him like the first time he saw the sun.

It was you. He didn't want Toriel. He loved her, still, but in this new world, a world where time moved nowhere but forward, he could have something... **_someone_** to discover with you.   
His joyful epiphany turned to horror as he snapped back into the moment and made eye-contact with Toriel. Sans took a deep breath, choosing his words.

"i'd love to see you around more often..." he smiled and sighed. "i've missed you, if i'm being honest." Toriel's laugh was like a bell. It was a sound that Sans hadn't heard in a long time and it wasn't making this any easier. She moved to take his hand. Sans held it but brought it up to rest his other on top of it.  
"but... i'm not sure if i can give you what you want anymore."

There was a long moment of nothing but the sound of the crowd bustling.

"What are you saying...?" she said softly, trying to understand. 

"toriel... i love you, and i don't think i'll ever stop loving you, but..." he sighed, trying to find a way to make sense of it all. "i don't want to tell you anything i don't mean. i would love to be friends and see each other more. i'd love to spend time with you and the kid and become close again. but, i don't see us getting back tog-... i mean... becoming romantically involved."

There. It was out. He nervously looked up to see Toriel's solemn frown.

"I suppose I cannot blame you." she sighed.

"i'm sorry..." he sighed, squeezing her hand. Strangely admitting this made him feel lighter. Happy even. Though he tried to remain cautious on her behalf.

"Oh, Sans..." she said softly, bringing her other hand to stroke his cheek. "I will not repeat my past mistakes. I cannot be angry if those are your true feelings."

The two looked at each other for a moment before Toriel backed away. Sans breathed easy and leaned back. 

"gotta hand it to ya, this is a pretty sweet set up." he said, looking around.

"Thank you..." she smiled, her voice laced with sadness.

"you okay if i go check on paps and frisk?" he said, concerned.

"Of course." she smiled weakly and shooed him off. Sans smiled and hopped off of the island, heading back to the party.

"Golly..." Asriel grinned with a low growl. "You really are an **_idiot_**." it laughed a low, malicious chuckle.

Toriel felt tears prick her eyes and she gave Asriel a look that would have set it on fire if she willed it. She sighed. It's not like she wasn't expecting something along those lines. She told herself that he might need some time, but Frisk would be happy to know that she had repaired the bridge, even if it wasn't how she was expecting to. She found Frisk and helped them say good-bye to everyone once it was time for bed. She was relieved that her assumptions about you had been wrong.

 

 

You hugged frisk goodnight and waved as Toriel brought them upstairs. 

"Okay, now the party really starts!" Undyne cheered, uncorking the first bottle of wine and pouring everyone a glass. You took a glass and felt eyes on your back again. Turning slightly, you saw Sans staring at you, but with a soft smile. A chill crawled up your spine. Did you lose the bet?

A few drinks in and everyone relaxed. You hadn't gotten a chance to speak to Sans alone, as everyone kept stopping you to ask you questions about human things and traditions. You were sitting on the arm of the couch while Undyne sat on the floor in front of Alphys, who played with her hair. Papyrus sat on the floor in front of Sans, who's legs dangled over his shoulders, and Asgore rocked in a rocking chair by the fireplace. Blue and BP stood in the doorway, drinks in hand.

"Then the Easter Bunny comes and puts eggs in your basket while you're asleep." you continued. Everyone watched you in awe. You felt like you were entertaining a bunch of kindergarteners. 

"WOWIE! DOES THE BUNNY LAY THE EGGS THEMSELVES?" Papyrus' eyes sparkle.

"I guess it depends on what version you were told as a kid. Sometimes yeah, other times he's in cahoots with magic chickens or something." you smiled.

"THAT SOULDS LIKE A GLORIOUS BREAKFAST!"

"Actually the eggs are usually plastic and filled with candy or little gifts."

"That's so fucking weird!" Undyne laughed.

"You think that's weird? I'm afraid to tell you all about the tooth fairy."

"....tooth fairy?" Blue chuckled.

"Okay so... humans lose their teeth when they're little. I'm sure you know this because of Frisk." you explained. Everyone nodded and leaned in closer.  
"So you're supposed to put it under your pillow and then when you wake up, a dollar will be where the tooth was."

"so some random fairy just goes around collecting random children teeth?" Sans looked particularly weirded out.

"I told you it was weird." you smiled and finished your wine. You felt a twinge in your head again and held it for a moment.

"You okay, pipsqueak?" Undyne said, sitting up a little.

"Yeah... just a headache." you didn't want to mention your procedure today because no one really needed to know it was your birthday at someone else's party.

"H-how's recovery?" Alphys said, eyeing BP as he re-filled your glass with what was supposed to be an off-limits luxury. You squirmed a bit in your seat, hoping she didn't say anything else about it. 

"Fine." you smiled and took another sip. 

"HOLY HELL I ALMOST FORGOT!" Undyne jumped up and ran out the front door. Alphys smiled and hugged her glass closer, avoiding eye-contact with you. You looked over to Sans, who shrugged and gave you that eerie soft smile again. Undyne returned with a wrapped gift.   
"You didn't think you'd get away scott-free did you, punk?" She tossed the box to you. It looked like it was meant to hold clothing.

"Is it your birthday?" Asgore asked.

"You bet it is! She thought she'd keep it all quiet. Too bad! Open the gift!" Undyne championed, roughly massaging your shoulders behind you. Toriel came down as you tore the paper.

"Guys, it's really not that big of a deal..." you pleaded as you blushed slightly, unboxing the gift. Your eyes got wide. In the box was a beautiful and delicate pale yellow sundress that was expertly tailored. The sleeves belled and faded into very delicate and intricate lace, with slits that would allow your shoulder to peek through. The bodice was long and stopped just under were your hips widened, where a multitude of pleats in the fabric that belled and faded into lace as well. You'd never really expressed interest in dresses before, but this gift felt somehow... intimate.

"It w-was sort of short notice. Undyne insisted we f-find something for you." Alphys said. "I saw this and couldn't r-resist! It's the exact color of your s-soul..." she looked down and blushed. You smiled at the dress and fought back tears. You'd never really received such a simple and thought out gift before. You said nothing and jumped onto Undyne, wrapping your arms around her neck.

"Happy Birthday!" Undyne spun you around. Everyone else crowded around you and expressed wishes of their own. Toriel orbited the crowd until she stood in the kitchen entrance observing. She felt as if she should be happy... but she wasn't.

" _Golly! Everyone sure seems to love that human, **don't they**?_ " Asriel teased its face dark and distorted. Toriel looked at it through the corner of her eye and tried to dismiss it, however her stomach sank... 

Sans walked up to you and began making a few jokes that made you laugh and retort. Undyne and Alphys migrated towards the kitchen. 

"Would you look at those two?" Undyne laughed, throwing an empty bottle away. "I should tell Sans he owes me. She'll look like a fucking princess in that thing." she chortled.

"Y-You should have seen how he looked at her soul today..." Alphys sighed fondly. "They're meant for each other... my OTP." she giggled. Undyne scoffed. "Oh! Be-besides us, baby!" she smiled. Undyne kissed the top of her head and they continued to whisper sweet nothings to each other.

Asriel chuckled to themselves and Toriel was the only one to hear it. She felt tears well up as she began losing herself in awful thoughts. So you lied to her. You knew she would try and get him back and only wanted to see her suffer. How vile. How positively depraved. Overcome with anger, she walked directly towards you.

Smiling and thanking Blue for the compliment on your outfit, you saw Toriel approaching. You smiled at her until you saw her face. A little startled, you took a step back.

"How cruel you are..." she said, her voice cracking.

"Wh-what...?" you looked around confused.

"tori?" Sans said, reaching out to her. She glared at him and he backed down. 

"You come into my home and partake in my hospitality only to lie to me under my own roof and then presume to commandeer the focus on the event at hand?" she began raising her voice. Asgore stood, taking a step towards the two of you.

"Toriel... what are you talking about?" you said, genuine fear in your voice.

"What's going on?" Undyne called from the kitchen, Alphys hiding behind her.

"How dare you!" she shouted. You jumped. Everyone's eyes were on you now. That paired with shouting was a recipe for disaster. Your chest began to feel heavy...  
"You told me something that allowed me to take a risk! A risk I never thought I would have the strength to take and it was all for a lie! You're just like all the other humans, taking joy in monsters' suffering!"  
Everyone's eyes got wider, starting to protest and plead for Toriel to calm down and asking what this was about. Her tearful eyes stayed fixed on you.

Heavier, heavier.... yet heavier... On top of your breathing becoming more difficult, your head began to really pound now. You looked up at her with the pain making you wince occasionally.

"T-Toriel, please... I don't know what you're..." you stammered softly, looking at her but grabbing your head. Sans made the mistake of resting a hand on your shoulder.

"Leave this house at once!" she shouted. You jumped and a small scream escaped you. Sans glared at Toriel. She pridefully stood her ground. He growled, but his anger softened when he saw you begin to grab at your chest, struggling to breathe. Everyone began trying to talk toriel down and the noise was becoming unbearable. 

 

 

Sans kept eye-contact with Toriel and wrapped an arm around your waist. "i can't believe you, tori..." he sighed.

 

 

You jumped at his touch, but before you could react the world around you fell away and you were submerged in an inky blackness. You clung to Sans, terrified and shut your eyes tight.   
You felt solid ground beneath you and nearly collapsed, trying to steady your breathing. Sans caught you and held you tightly. He asked you to breathe with him again and you did. Your breath steady, the gravity of the situation just hit you. 

"What the fuck was that!?" you shouted, stomping to your closet and pulling out a hanger for your new dress. 

"i don't really know..." he said, slipping his hands in his pockets and shrugging, a little concerned himself. "i guess this means i win, right...?" he said, grinning. You looked up at the ceiling with disbelief at his sloppy segway, then leered at him.

"I mean that was a huge fucking disaster, so I guess so, Sans." you stated, hanging the dress up and walking to your bed, flopping backwards on it.  
"She shot my main man down, huh?" you said, trying to bring yourself to worry about him instead of that giant clusterfuck. You could still see Toriel's horrific eyes.

"well... no actually." he said sitting beside you. You looked over to him absolutely lost now.  
"she asked me for another shot and..." he sighed with a frustrated smile. "i... i couldn't say yes."

You stood up and looked at him, blown away.

"You cheated." you grumbled, crossing your arms.

"did not." he raised a brow.

"You were supposed to _get her back_! Was that not the goal? _Did I fucking miss something there?_ How are you supposed to get her back by shooting her **_fucking down_**?" your speech was starting to seethe with repressed rage.

"well.." he laughed and face-palmed. "to be fair, the bet was that if the opportunity to give it another shot was brought up and it ended in disaster, i win. if not, you won." he looked up at you with a nervous smile. There were no words from you. You had none to give that wouldn't involve tearing him a new one.  
"honestly, you would have won. she was very understanding when i spoke to her. i have no idea why she decided to do... all that. guess i just got lucky." he snickered. "now... what to ask..."

"Not the fucking time." you said through gritted teeth. Your arms dropped to your sides but you clenched your fists.

"ah-ah-ah~!" he said wagging his fingers. "no backing out." he winked.

"Fuck you!" you shouted and ripped the headband from your hair, turning to throw it at your dresser. "Do you realize that i was just called a cruel liar in front of everyone I care about?" you began pacing.

"so what? it's not true." he shrugged and stood.

"God Dammit, Sans can you please fucking get real for a second!" you took your earrings out and threw them in your jewelry box. "I don't even know what I lied about! I have no reason to lie to her!"

"did you?"

"NO!" you kicked your shoes off and one of them scuffed the wall. "uuugghhh!! dammit!" you said, taking a breath and trying to calm down. You felt Sans' arms around you suddenly and you looked up, inches from his face.

"need to breathe again?" he smiled.

"Sans.. What ar-" and then it dawned on you. She thought you and Sans were an item. You denied it. He denied her. The pieces fell together. Toriel must think you were a total whore. What's worse... Sans didn't tell you why he couldn't say yes... and you weren't sure you wanted to know. You looked at Sans in horror and squirmed to get out of his arms, but he held you tighter and chuckled.  
"Dude, no joke, let me go." you said, shoving at his arms that refused to budge.

"not until you answer my questions, sore loser." he winked.

"This isn't funny!" you blushed and struggled harder. You managed to get an arm free and pushed against him. He laughed genuinely. "Stop! Toriel thinks that you..!"

He held you tighter and raised a brow with a smirk.

"toriel thinks I what...?" his eyes were half lidded and your face was suddenly on fire. You stopped struggling so much and glared at him maliciously.

"I'm starting to think you _know_ what..." You suddenly felt your back gently, but assertively pressed against the wall. Your leer lost some ice, but you stiffened, trying to push him back again. He didn't move.

"what if i do...?" he said softly through a sly grin, moving closer to your face. Your heart skipped a beat and you noticed how oddly warm he was. Nope. Hell no. This was not going to happen. 

"Stop." you growled, your face flushed.

"answer my questions..." he hummed, his mouth closing in. 

 

Well, you don't know what possessed you, but you reared back with your free hand and socked him right in the boney jaw. 

 

You shook your fist and cried out, your fingers in massive amounts of pain while Sans took a step back and held his cheekbone in shock. Realizing what you'd just done you instantly tripped over your words.

"O-Oh my god! I'm so fucking sorry! Hol-" you stopped dead in your tracks when Sans looked up at you with one eye blazing blue and the widest grin you'd ever seen.

Before you had time to react, he was _on_ you. You were slammed against the wall again, but harder. _Nope Hell NO..._

His fingers dug into your waist through your shirt and your breath hitched.... _No? Hell...maybe? Holy shit..._  
Your rational side was shoved into the backseat for your libido when he growled against your neck and pressed against you. _Fine, if he wanted to play, lets go, motherfucker_. You mustered all of your strength to shove him off and he stumbled back a few steps before grabbing your arm and pulling you with him. You locked your ankle inside his knee and made it buckle. Sans chuckled low and deep, gripping your shirt and dragging you down to the ground with him. You landed on your stomach and he pinned you down from behind, his fingers lacing into yours on either side. You struggled, but no where near as seriously as you were before. You felt his ribs against your back as he buried his head into the crook of your neck and hummed again, breathing you in and shifting against you. You inhaled sharply through your teeth and bit your lip with a smile. He was much stronger than you'd anticipated. His hips ground against you and you let out a small moan, to which he moved to slip an arm around you and flip you over beneath him. 

His eyes were lidded with lust and he panted heavily, his mouth open and exposing his fangs. He brushed the hair from your face and stared at you in wonder. You began to feel extremely uncomfortable... _What was he doing? You were supposed to be having fun not... whatever this is??_  
His hand cupped your cheek affectionately and he smiled tenderly.

"heh... _________... you're _so_ beautiful..." he whispered.

 

.....

NOPE. HELL NO.

Your face went pale and you sat up. Seeing your expression he sat up with you.

"what's wrong...? i didn't hurt you, did i?" he said nervously reaching for you.

"Get out." you recoiled and growled.

"what...?" he smiled, but it faded when he saw that you weren't joking. "heh... buddy, you haven't answered-"

"Fuck You! Get out now!" you shouted, balling up and pointing to the door. Sans fell back a little. He looked at you with the utmost bewilderment. You refused to make eye contact and he suddenly felt as if he may have gone too far. He said nothing, only sighing and in a flash he was gone.

 

You stood up and paced, then threw a lamp out of anger, scuffing the wall again. You gripped a handful of your hair and groaned to yourself. How could he!? Why did he have to go and ruin a perfectly good friendship!? Sure, you would have had a good time with him, but you were absolutely not signing up for anything serious! What the fuck was he thinking? What a fucking idiot!!

You grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. The pain in your head returned and you held it, whimpering. Changing into your pajamas, you caught yourself jumping at every little sound you heard, thinking he might have come back. You'd never looked forward to pain-staking rehearsals more in your entire life. Please for the love of reason, something take all of this bullshit off of your mind...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY NOT SORRY BWAHAHAHAHAAHA!!! Hope you enjoyed your Diet-Sin! Reader sure felt her SANS crawling on her back, huh? HUH? :D
> 
> Now, now. I've been so sweet, you didn't think i wouldn't throw some spice in there eventually, now did you? Patience, my lovelies. This has only set them of for success I assure you. <3


	11. Real Drama, Real Romance...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... That was awkward.
> 
> You try your best to take your mind off of things. Luckily you have some pretty cool friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off, you guys are just... heaven sent. No really. I've been gone for so long dealing with some... just pretty unbelievably lame stuff and even then I still get the sweetest comments that bring me to tears. You all continue to inspire me and support me and fucking hell, I'm not worthyyy...
> 
> Thank you so much for your kind words. Depression sucks and this community is amazing. I love you all.
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter and get pumped for the next. 
> 
> *snuggles for everyone!*
> 
> ALSO 69 BOOKMARKS HEYOOOOOO~!

Sans was back in his room.

There was a strong wave of temptation that tugged him towards his nest of blankets and into the void of netflix... but he refused.

  
He paced slowly, hands in his pockets, in very deep thought.

Toriel was likely beyond consoling. At least for now. He was thought about returning to the party, but if he knew her, she may need some space before he tried to discover what on earth got into her. Everyone was probably so confused. Sans checked his phone. There were a few missed calls, but none of them were from you. He sighed and shoved it back into his pocket.

The look on your face haunted him... You seemed to be having fun playing along for a moment...  
Did he say something wrong? In nearly every show he'd watched, that's usually how love confessions went. The friends carry tension and then when a passionate argument breaks out, it results in a heated make out session and everything falls together in the end... right? He groaned and dropped his head. Toriel was the only lover he'd ever had and it took him a few resets before he had the balls to pursue anything. Even then, she was the one who did most of the leading... It was only after he had become a master of what she liked and disliked from learning through repetition, that their relationship really took off...  
This was almost entirely new. The concept of moving forward. Risking rejection with no do-overs.  
He had to do something... but what? You probably loathed him.  
Maybe he could try what won you over before?

It wouldn't hurt...

He obtained your favorite latte and teleported into your living room. He was very quiet in case you were still asleep.... Though, he didn't feel your presence. Curious, he cracked your bedroom door open silently and you weren't there. Fear crawled up his spine as irrational thoughts raced through his mind. Did he scare you that much? Did you leave? For good? His phone began to ring and he was brought crashing back down into the moment.

It's Toriel.

Sans nervously accepts the call.

"....uh... h-hey..." he says, clearing his throat.

"Sans.... I-" she sounded like she had been crying. "May I speak to you..." she said softly. 

"it's uh... like 3 in the morning." he said, a little confused.

"I am aware... Though... Frisk would like to join us." she said grimly. Sans sighed. This can't be good...

 

  
\----------------------

 

  
The music blared in the gym where you were drowning yourself in movement. You sure as hell couldn't sleep, so you declared yourself in a state of "Fuck it" and started warming up for the day. Twisting, tumbling and flipping around the floor in a freestyle contemporary fashion, you were lost. You were in there for what felt like hours before you turned and a figure stood in your path. You gasped and jumped, nearly crashing into Mettaton. He remotely turned the music down.

"Aren't you supposed to be at home recovering, darling? I know I run a tight ship, but 4am warm-ups are a bit excessive." he said, his tone a bit condescending. It struck a nerve.

"I needed to blow off some steam..." you panted and grabbed a water bottle, wiping your sweat.

"By all means, enlighten me. Papyrus was quite upset this morning. He said you left the party early last night and haven't answered your phone for anyone." he crossed his arms and cocked his hip to the side. You were in absolutely no way in the mood to be interrogated. Mainly because not even you know what the fuck happened last night. Sans single-handedly flipped the the table on the first stable social life you've ever had. You were made to look like some sort of home wrecker. Toriel hated you for the wrong reasons... but also theoretically the right ones? Ugh! Fuck this! You chugged the bottle dry and threw it at the wall. Mettaton suddenly lifted you by the back of your shirt and held you a few feet in the air for a while.

"Dial it back, love, or I'll start dodging training right here and now." he purred. You dangled angrily like a kitten being held by its nape. He let you down when you stopped struggling.

You sighed and paced.

"I don't really feel like talking." you scoffed, crossing your arms. Mettaton gave you a very demanding scowl, maintaining a sense of elegance. You took a deep breath and tried... very hard... to calm down.  
"Mettaton... " you sighed and ran a hand through your hair. "I appreciate the concern, but honestly, I don't even know whats going on."

"Hmph..." Mettaton leered, knowing there was a juicy story in there somewhere, though he didn't want you to stress yourself when you still technically were post-op.  
"If you say so." he shrugged. "Papy said you left with Sans. He hasn't been home and everyone has been looking for him. You wouldn't happen to know where he might have disappeared to, now would you?" He grinned as if he were aiming for your nerves now.

"Nope." you huffed and dropped into a split, stretching backward, nonchalantly. You felt Mettaton pick you up again and set you down on your feet.

"Oh no no no. You, miss, are going straight home to study your Metta-terial and rest. I expect you'll have a few visitors as well." he said with an eerie, knowing smirk. You didn't care for the chill that crawled up your spine. Mettaton's eye flashed and a small projection popped up informing him of an incoming call from Papyrus.

"Papy?" he answered and faced away. "Yes, I found her...... Yes, she's alright." he looked at you as if he were going to ask something, then rolled his eyes and sighed.  
"No, I'm afraid she hasn't seen him."

You felt a knot twist in your stomach with slight anxiety. Was Sans.... okay?

.... Nope. Not your problem. Let him go sulk or whatever.

Mettaton paused his conversation for a moment.

"I ordered you a cab. Go home." he ordered. Sighing in defeat, you walked to your backpack and slung it on, giving him a peace sign before storming out.

You grabbed your phone and turned it on. It had been blowing up since the party and you wanted some quiet for a while. A wave of notifications overwhelmed your poor device.

Papyrus 10:39: [ARE YOU ALRIGHT?]

Undyne 10:47: [What the fuck just happened? Are you okay?]  
Undyne 10:52: [Toriel just kicked everyone out.]  
Undyne 11:02: [Answer the phone or I'm coming over!]

Alphys 11:30: [I told Undyne to give u some space, but we r worried. pls let us know ur ok.]

17 Missed Calls from Papyrus.  
4 Missed calls from Undyne.  
2 Voicemails.

You groaned to yourself and held your head. It hadn't really stopped hurting since yesterday and now it was being coupled with a subtle but dense pressure in your chest, like there was a heavy ball in between your lungs.

You begrudgingly held the phone to your ear.

["Hey, pipsqueak... I just wanted to check on you because no one's seen Sans since and I just wanna know if he's with you and if you're both okay. Please call me back?"] She hung up.

You hit the next option.

["Miss Scarlet..."] Papyrus was quiet for once. It was really unsettling. ["Sans has not returned. Please.... I only want to know if he is alright. Contact me as soon as you can. He is not answering his phone..."]

That one was hard to stomach. You'd never heard Papyrus... sad before.

UGH! No! You will not feel bad! This is not your fault!

You waited for the cab to pull up and jumped in the back seat.

  
\------------

  
Fumbling with your keys for a second, you paused and sighed before turning the lock and opening the door. Before you could close it, you could smell the amazing scent of a vanilla latte. You flipped on the lights and saw a hot cup of coffee sitting on the counter.

An apology.

Dropping your bag, you quickly walked into the center of your apartment, where you could see into all of the rooms. You listened.... you seemed to be alone. You hoped you were alone. Your anger spiked up again realizing you no longer felt safe in your own damn house. Pivoting, you went to close the door. A firm hand stopped the door from shutting.

Undyne burst through, making you gasp.

"What. The. FUCK." she said, making a b-line for you. You stepped backward instinctively and looked her up and down. "Are you okay?" she softened, inspecting you.

"Obviously." you said, crossing your arms.

"Where's Sans?" she snapped.

"Fuck if I know..." you grumbled and rolled your eyes.

"Did you guys fight?" she got a little too close to your face than you were in the mood to tolerate.

"No, we had a fuckin' tea party and then went iceskating. Yes, Undyne. I kicked him out of my house because he was a fucking idiot." You took the coffee and poured it down the sink, then threw the cup away. Undyne seemed to be searching for the words.

"What did he do?" she finally asked, sitting at the kitchen bar. A very sour expression formed on your face and Undyne leaned in.

"I.... I think he expressed that he has feelings for me..." you said in disbelief. It sounded even weirder out loud. Undyne's eyebrows shot up and she covered her mouth.

"You think?" she smirked.

"He didn't outright say it, but just... believe me. He made it pretty damn clear." you grumbled, reminding yourself that you were mad.

"... Do you like him?" Undyne rested her chin on folded hands. Why was she so concerned with this?

"No." you stated. "Ugh... hell no."

"What?" she sat up. "Why?"

"Are you being serious right now?" Scarlet groaned. "He's my friend!"

"But you guys hang out like 'all' the time!" Undyne smirked.

"So do you and I!" you justified.

"Yeah, but I'm taken." she winked.

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?" You were getting aggravated now. So what, just because you're friends with someone single you have to start dating? What was this the 1950's!? You really, desperately wanted to tell her about the bet and about his feelings for Toriel... but there was a sick sense of loyalty you still felt to his trust in you. You had your fair share of secrets and while he was just a total ass... you weren't low enough to shit talk him out of spite. Undyne shrugged.

"Nothing, I guess." she sighed. "How's recovery?" she clumsily changed the subject. You held your head.

"Fine..." you grumbled. "Headaches and whatnot... but I also haven't slept, so..."

  
There was a knock at the door. You felt the hair on your neck stand up as you dreaded the thought of Sans on the other side. Undyne looked at you and nodded towards it. Taking a deep breath, you walked to the door and opened it.

"M-Miss Scarlet?" Papyrus looked down embarrassed. "I know you said that Sans wasn't here, but I thought I might speak to you about last night. Perhaps you can help me figure out where me might be?"

God. Fucking. Damn him... Your heart broke. You opened the door ready to give this sad skeleton the world if it meant seeing him smile again. Papyrus ducked into your apartment and looked around.

"Your residence is quite charming!" he gently complimented. Ugh... your soul ached.

"Thanks, Pap." you smiled.

"Why the long face, nerd?" Undyne teased, pulling him into a soft noogie. Papyrus squirmed out of it and gave her a half smile.

"Sans has never been gone for a full night before... even if he manages to stay out late, he is always home by dawn..." Papyrus twiddled his thumbs. He looked up at you, catching your gaze awkwardly. You looked away.  
"What happened after you two left, if you do not mind me asking?"

Undyne smirked. You turned around and started taking out some tea fixins, taking a deep sigh.

"Papyrus, he just took me home. I wish I knew where he went but I don't. I assumed he just went home too." you placed to cups of steaming tea in front of them and crossed your arms.

"I'm simply confused because he seems to be so fond of you. You're all he ever speaks of. I only assumed he stayed the night to try and calm the aftermath of that... rather abrupt outburst, or possibly help care for your surgical recovery. He mentioned today he was going to teach you how to use it?" Papyrus took a sip. Undyne perked up.

"Wait, do you think you're ready to learn now?" she said with a grin.

"I don't know." you groaned. "I'm tired and a little cranky, honestly. I remember Sans mentioning that the implant wouldn't work too well if my mind is all clouded." you sighed.

Papyrus got a text. He grasped at his phone and looked at it wide eyed.  
"Oh, thank goodness.." he sighed. Undyne took his phone from him and read it herself.

"Huh. Well, I guess that answers that." She shrugged.

"What?" you sipped your own cup of tea.

"Sans is back at Toriel's. She's apparently happy about something." Undyne raised a brow at you.

"OH SANS, I HOPE YOU CAN FEEL MY FURY VIA TEXT." Papyrus said, mashing his phone keys with gusto. An odd feeling twisted in you stomach. You dismissed it as left over grudge sludge from last night and finished your tea.

"Well, now that that mystery is solved, are you guys busy today? I have the day off still." you collected their cups.

"HMM... WELL, I SUPPOSE METTATON WOULD WANT YOU UNDER EXPERT CARE CONSIDERING YOUR CONDITION. I WOULD PROVE A FAR GREATER NURSE THAN MY BROTHER ANYWAY." Papyrus stood, his spark returning. Undyne watched you carefully, then sighed.

"I don't really have anything planned until later. What did you have in mind?" she crossed to the living room.

"Well, What's something we could do that isn't too strenuous, but gets me out of this damn apartment..." you thought out loud.

"I'VE GOT JUST THE THING!" Papyrus stood triumphantly. "QUICKLY! PUT ON CLOTHES SUITABLE FOR THE OUTDOORS!" You smiled and went to your bedroom. You put on some black jeans and a Kenshin T-Shirt on. A fresh pair of blue chucks, your leather jacket, and a ponytail and you were good to go.  
The two of you followed Papyrus around street-corners, wondering where he could be leading you.

 

 

  
You arrived at a park that was brightly painted with all of the colors of Autumn. Families were scattered across the hills flying kites and playing catch. Papyrus walked to a large booth and spoke to the associate. After an exchange, he walked over with the world's brightest grin, carrying a basket.

"What's this?" you smiled and cocked your head.

"HAVE YOU NEVER HAD A PICNIC?" Papyrus gasped. Come to think of it, you never actually have. You shook your head. Papyrus face grew stoic and he walked towards a nice sunny spot on top of the hill. He and Undyne laid out the blanket and invited you to sit. You were handed a bento box that had a kitten shaped rice-ball and various treats. The fresh air and overall chill-ness of the setting allowed for relaxation to finally wash over you. You sighed peacefully.

"So, is this it?" you smiled.

Undyne nodded, mouth full. Papyrus happily ate, his eyes closed, enjoying the sunshine. There weren't many moments in your life when you were forced to slow down and just... be. This was nice.  
After you all finished eating, you all talked about different adventures the two of them used to have. They were very entertaining to watch. Inside jokes, enthusiasm, and hearty, genuine laughter.

Stories turned into sparring after a few hours. You watched as they summoned weapons and dodged each other. You had an audience after a while. People gathered and recorded with their phones, cheering. Undyne inevitably claimed victory and they two laughed and bowed to their adoring public. The crowd dispersed a little bit while you clapped. Undyne said something to Papyrus as they walked back to the blanket and Papyrus smiled at you excitedly.

"What?" you smiled.

"You wanna try yours out?" Undyne grinned. You felt a wave of anxiety, but paused to think. Your headaches were pretty minor by now. As long as Undyne thought it was safe, what harm could it do? You nodded and stood. Papyrus did a happy dance and wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

"MISS SCARLET, THE FIRST THING YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT SUMMONING MAGIC IS THAT YOU MUST CONCENTRATE. TRULY FEEL THE FREQUENCY IN YOUR CORE AND IMAGINE THE MANIFESTATIONS AROUND YOU." Papyrus spoke elegantly, but you were having a really hard time following.

"Frequency?" you asked.

"You should have an emotion synced to your soul that allows you to summon things up." Undyne smirked, summoning a spear.

"Oh, so... what do you guys feel to summon yours?" you said, looking at one of Undyne's spears up close for the first time.

"Righteous Fury." Undyne grinned wide, summoning another.

"BOUNDLESS CONFIDENCE!" Papyrus declared, his eye flashing orange and they were surrounded by a circle of bones. You smiled, getting more and more excited.  
"WHAT DID THEY SYNC YOURS TO?"

"Ambition." you smirked.

"Well, lets give it a shot, pipsqueak," Undyne stood back and watched you. You sort of awkwardly stood for a second. She laughed a bit and put her hands in her hips.  
"Try closing your eyes and concentrating on that emotion alone."

"YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!" Papyrus cheered. You closed your eyes and focused on the feeling when you stood in front of a crowd. The excitement you felt when you learned a new trick or landed an impossible position. Suddenly your eye flashed a pale yellow and your head felt hot. You stopped and winced.

"No! That was so good! Don't be afraid of it! Here." Undyne stood you in front of a tree. "Focus on that tree. Feel the Ambition..."  
You nodded and tried again. The stinging, hot feeling came back and you suddenly felt the vision in your right eye glow yellow. You blinked and stopped again.   
  
"Woah..." you stammered, rubbing your eye. 

"Don't fight it, _______." she coaxed. "Just let it build and then imagine releasing it."   
You nodded and tried again. The light grew again and you thought the word "go" and a star materialized beside your head, spinning and hitting the tree. Undyne grinned wildly and Papyrus cheered.  
  
"SPECTACULAR!" Papyrus jumped up and down.

"Again!" Undyne said. 

You were amazed. The star was the size of your hand. After a few moments, it disappeared. You summoned it again, hitting the tree a few inches lower. Holy shit, you had an actual. fucking. superpower. You squealed like a school girl and calmed down to try again. You hit the tree with two at once. This was fucking amazing! Undyne gave you a hearty pat on the back that made you fall forward a little.

"You're a natural!" she praised. 

"OF COURSE SHE IS, SHE'S NOTHING SHORT OF SPECTACULAR! METTATON DEMANDS ONLY THE FINEST!" Papyrus declared, lifting you onto his shoulders with a defined laugh. You grinned and chuckled.

"I can't wait to try this thing out in the gym." you said with a devilish grin. "Give Mettaton a taste of his own medicine with some target practice." you laughed. Undyne chortled and Papyrus frowned.

"As long as you're careful." he crossed his arms.

"Of course, Paps." you winked. "I wouldn't wanna **_STARt_** anything with Mettaton." you shrugged. Papyrus scowled at you with a particular distain. 

 

 

 

\-------------------------

 

 

The three of you decided to go back to Papyrus' house. You all walked in to Sans and Mettaton sitting on the couch, apparently having a discussion with tea. You all froze with the same deadpanned expression. 

"Pappy!" Mettaton chimed, sashaying over and planting a kiss on his skeleton lover. You caught Sans' gaze for a moment before looking away. Undyne watched the two of you carefully, a smug grin creeping across her face.

"Scarlet! Oh, I'm glad you're here!" Mettaton turned his attention towards you. "I trust you're feeling well?" he took your chin and angled your face, inspecting you.

"U-Uh..." you looked a little flustered. "Yeah. I'm feeling fine." You gently took his hand off of your face, patting it.

"Marvelous!" he clasped his hands.

"She even got to break it in a little. We did some target practice at the park." Undyne tousled your hair.

"you did...?" Sans asked. You looked up at him through your messy hair and combed a hand through it, directing your attention to Mettaton.

"Yeah. I think I've got the hang of it." you sighed, confident.

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful~!" Mettaton clapped excitedly. "How perfect. I was hoping to hear that. Now we can leave much sooner than anticipated." he opened a hologram schedule in front of you, moving a few appointments around.

"How soon is that, boss?" you took out your phone, trying to track the changes. 

"Tomorrow." he chirped.

"Sounds like a plan." you smiled.

"Our first stop will be New York City. Papy and I will be in a trailer and you and Sans will be neighbors." Mettaton began writing a few emails.

"What?" you and Sans said in unison. You shared an awkward glance.

"We need someone with you to make sure your implant stays in tip-top shape. Sans is the only specialist that exists, so naturally I'll be keeping him close to you." He noticed the two of you staring at each other.  
"I'm sorry, is there a problem?" he purred.

"No." you both said bitterly. You heard Undyne snort and you snapped your gaze towards her, staring daggers. She winked. Undyne... _really? **Really?**?_ You were suddenly lifted into a hug.

"OH I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE THE WORLD WITH YOU!! WE WILL HAVE SUCH ADVENTURES!" Papyrus spun you around and you couldn't help but giggle. 

"Come now, Pappy. My starlet needs to go home and pack." Mettaton sighed. Papyrus put you down and pat your head. You sighed and smirked. 

"Run along, darling. We leave bright and early!" Mettaton extended his arm, nudging you out the door.

"Aah! Uh! Okay, okay! Geez... Se you tomorrow!" You barely had time to say goodbye before the door closed and there was a cab already waiting for you parked on the street. 

So... In 24 hours. You had a... lets call it a ' _confrontation_ ' with your best friend and aren't currently speaking, had your very first picnic, tested your brand new super power, and will now be leaving for a year long international tour with said best friend you aren't speaking to... You should really keep a journal. Surely, someone would find your life entertaining...

 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 I drew Scarlet! :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I've met an amazing author who has started a crossover with me. If you haven't read Underfell Underhell, do the thing. It's awesome and @amartin22 is awesome. I'm so So SO happy to have made such an amazing friend who I can be creative with. I highly recommend crossovers to everyone, they're so much fun and Gat DAMN if it isn't the best damn friendship builder I've ever encountered. We'll be publishing our first chapter in the next few days. We're already like 30+ chapters in... Prepare your bodies for so. much. sin. <3
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/5721499/chapters/13182712


	12. Drama Bombastic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward tour is awkward. Will you and Sans find a way to cope? Hopefully so. There's a storm a brewin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I've got the next few chapters already written out so hopefully I can stop with this whole 'taking forever' bullshit. You all deserve better, i'm so sorry. But everyone who's been reading the crossover and making us art, I am so. god damn. grateful!! 
> 
> As always, thank you guys so much for your kind words. They really keep me motivated. You are my determination!!! <3

First stop was New York City.

Performances were long and trying, but exciting nonetheless. The crowds of protestors were a new feature. Nothing you were surprised by, but it was still disappointing to see.

  
You were getting better at using your implant. Summoning the stars was slowly becoming as simple as thinking to raise a limb. Target practice was a little difficult, though. Sometimes Mettaton would mentor you, but he would usually find himself caught up in interviews and stage managing. You had no idea how he was able to juggle it all and admired him greatly for it.   
If he was unavailable, Papyrus would happily volunteer. You almost preferred it, since every training session with him was chalk full of praise and unexpected japes. Sometimes he would increase the gravity around you, making it much harder to dodge any projectiles he’d throw at you; Sometimes he would stop in the middle of training for a random dance off, then resume without warning. The more time you spent with him, the more you understood why he and Mettaton were such a perfect match.

Mettaton, while at his core was a musing, fame-obsessed narcissist, needed someone who not only matched his level of self-worship, but also had the purity to love him for who he really was. Papyrus was equally full of himself, but only by the standard for which he held everything around him. When he said he believed in you, he meant it. His faith in goodness was just… such an amazing breath of fresh air for you. You were sure you’d never get tired of it.

 

Sans was around, though you barely saw him. You were scheduled for a weekly examination with him to make sure the implant remained functional. Your first visit was rather cold. You laid down and put headphones in while he pulled your soul out and read the feeds from his portable smaller version of the dish in the lab. He would ask the occasional question, you would give the occasional answer. There was a part of you that hated this. You wished he would just breech the subject already so you could let him down easy, because lord knows there was no way in hell you were gonna bring it up. Nopity nopity no.

It had been a while since you’d walked the streets of this little town. The memories you carried were both some of the best… and worst. Memories of running through the streets as a child… and as an adult. You managed to sneak away on your own after a very successful performance to venture around. You wore a brown wig and a dark brown contact lense to make your eyes the same color. It was best not to draw attention as a celebrity, let alone a monster supporter in this country. You walked past time square, where highlights of the show you’d just performed would flash occasionally. It was surreal seeing yourself on that screen, but it gave you an immense sense of accomplishment.

The door chimed as you walked into an old coffee shop you used to frequent. You doubted any of your old friends still worked there, but it was worth a try. A stranger stood behind the counter as you ordered a vanilla latte and tipped the barista very well. Sitting in the corner, you pulled out your Mett-ogrophy book and started your designated studying, listening to the french music and enjoying the small moment of nostalgic peace.

After an hour or so, you heard someone sit across from you. Your eyes flicked upward.

 

Sans sat across the table, leaning on his palm with a grin.

 

“hey.”

“Hey…” you quipped. "You following me?" Sans sighed and leaned back, his grin fading. 

"no..." he mumbled.

"Then how did you find me, let alone recognize me?"

"heh... i interact with your soul on a weekly basis, so i can kind of sense it... it's sort of like smelling your favorite dessert. it catches your attention. i came in here to get pap a biscotti, scouts honor." he smirked.

"Huh. That's freaky." you rolled your eyes and continued reading. The moment grew thick.

“need another coffee?” he offered.

“Nope.” you said, turning a page nonchalantly.

“______... “ he pinched the bridge of his nasal cavity and took a deep breath.   
“look, we’re going to be traveling together for a year. we can’t just keep giving each other the cold shoulder.”

“Sure we can.” you said, deadpanned. He glared at you.

“I’m trying to apologize, kid.” he crossed his arms.

“I’m not a kid, buddy.” you looked up and closed your book.   
“Get to it then, _numbskull_.”

Sans looked at you for a moment with a sour frown. This wasn’t going the way he'd hoped it would…

“...i spoke to tori. we straightened everything out.”

“And what, praytell, needed to be _straightened out_?” you leaned in with narrow eyes. Sans blushed a bit, clearly very uncomfortable. He looked at the table and poked at the small tray full of sugar packets.

“...i’m sorry i wasn’t honest about what i was feeling that night.” he began. You noticed him start to sweat a bit. There was a small twinge of guilt in the back of your mind, but you shoved it down. You deserved an explanation.   
“when tori and i talked, like i said, she was totally willing to start over… but when it came time to agree… for some reason i just couldn’t. it’s like i realized that while i loved her, i was really just in love with someone who didn’t exist.”

“Didn’t exist?” you raised a brow.

“the memories i have of her are extremely precious to me, don’t get me wrong… it’s just that that’s all they are. memories. now i understand why she was angry… why it wouldn’t work. when i came to the surface and locked myself away, it was because i was desperate to regain what i’d lost. but time moves on, people change. i guess i’d forgotten what that’s like. she needs someone who will help her move forward instead of holding her back for the sake of nostalgia. she deserves someone who has the chance to discover her for the first time.”

You studied him intently. He was undoubtedly sincere, but you felt that familiar pit in your stomach form… _Please don’t go where I think you’re going, Sans…_

“so, that’s why i turned her down. not just for her sake, but for mine too. i’ve been living in the past for too long. it’s time to start moving forward.” he bashfully looked up with a small smile. The pit grew deeper.

“Good. That’s… good.” you said, lifting your coffee to your lips, but remembering it was empty. You tried to put it down and play it off deliberately, hoping you didn’t look too nervous. Sans face-palmed for a moment, before running his hand over his skull with another flustered sigh, itching the back of his vertebrae.

“i’d a-also like to apologize for… whatever came over me afterwards…” his eyes stayed fixed on the floor.

“What _did_ come over you?” you sat up straight, ready for his response.

“...i-i… i really don’t know. i’m really embarrassed, honestly and… i shouldn’t have been so forward…” he tripped over his words, fidgeting with the buttons on his blue formal shirt.

“I’m pretty sure you wanted to get to  _know_ me. _Biblically_.” you scoffed with a smirk. Sans didn't really follow at first. You saw the moment he connected the dots when his eyes widened and he blushed a deeper blue.

“i... might have. yeah... i won't lie to you... but i thought you did too… until… i don’t know. that whole night was just a mess and i’m sorry…”

“Why.” you asked flatly. Sans looked up, blushing more. Sans almost looked hurt.

“you’re really going to make me recount everything right here?” he said shakily.

“No, Sans. Why did you want me?”

“well... _______ we’ve gotten pretty close… wouldn’t you agree?” he stammered.

“Sure.” you crossed your arms. You had no idea why you were pushing this. If he said what you were afraid he was leading up to, you would be furious. If he didn’t say it… then… huh, how would you feel? The fact that you didn’t know the answer right away was beyond unsettling.

“i mean… o-okay…. shit…” he held his face. After an exasperated sigh he dropped his hands and looked at you seriously.  
“i have no idea what i’m doing, ______. with any of this… all i know is that… when i’m with you, i feel like i can be myself. like... no masks, no excuses, no covers, just me. do you _realize_ how hard that is for me to achieve?” his eyes were piercing.

“... Yeah. I can imagine.” you said, your hand starting to nervously pick at your sleeve.

“i don’t want to lose that. ever. i don’t want to lose **you**.” he said. Clear and honest. There was a beat as you both looked at each other. The hum of the crowd around you like white noise.   
If that was a confession, it was a strange one. You were still unsure. Taking what he said with a grain of salt, you realized he was likely your closest friend as well. You had his complete trust, and you were pretty willing to go the extra mile to see him happy... within reason.    
  
Enough. You were going to make this decision for him before he said something stupid.

 

“Sans…” you sighed. “I don’t really…. ‘do’ relationships…”

Sans looked a little caught off guard, either because you said something he didn’t want to hear or something that was off topic… you didn’t know which you were more afraid of.

“... i mean… that’s fine.” he said, looking off to the side. “as long as i can be close to you… that’s all i really want, _____...”

“No… Look, I have this uncanny desperate desire to help people get things they want. Hence why I was so determined to help you win Toriel back. If you want something I can’t give you, we have a problem.”

“Huh…” Sans looked nervous.

“What do you **_really_** want from me, Sans?” you asked flatly. Time stopped for a moment for the both of you. After he looked down in deep thought for a moment, his eyes met yours again.

“.......... i just want my best friend back. honest.” he said softly.  
Well, there it was. You had no choice to take his word for it. You placed your book in your backpack with a sigh and zipped it closed, slinging over your shoulder.

“Alright, then. I think we’d better head back to the lot.” you smiled and nodded towards the door. Sans nervously smiled back.

“s-so... we’re cool?” he stood, walking with you.

“Yeah.” you smirked, rubbing his head. He playfully swatted your hand away and scoffed.

“hey, lay off the do. my hair doesn’t just ‘happen’...” he chuckled. The two of you started going back and forth with a long overdue discussion about Mettaton and Papyrus’ relationship, as well as how much you were growing to adore Papyrus. Sans told a few embarrassing stories and in no time the two of you were back to a nice vibe with each other.

  


\----------------------------------------

  
  


Two weeks later, Mettaton was livid, pacing around his office. Papyrus gently tried to calm him down, but he was inconsolable. You weren’t answering your phone and were nowhere to be found. Rehearsal started an hour ago and you were never late. His anger was more out of concern than anything else.

 

“Are you sure you checked her trailer!?” Mettaton snapped. Papyrus backed away, nervously trying to ease Mettaton’s temper.

 

“P-PLEASE, TON-TON. YOU WON’T BRING HER BACK WITH SHOUTING. IT’S VERY UNBECOMING.”

 

Mettaton pulled up his screen, scrolling furiously for any updates. Sans knocked on the door and opened it slowly.

 

“any luck?” he asked.

 

“No! Nothing! Narry a text!” Mettaton snapped. Papyrus laid a hand on his shoulder and Mettaton calmed himself.  
“Yes, yes, I’m sorry, darling. This is just so unlike her…” Mettaton did a double take as he scrolled through your finances, hoping a bank statement would lead him to you. There were several drafts going to a hospital in Des Moines, Iowa dating back to when you were first hired. The most recent payment was substantially greater than the recurring previous payments.

“Well, isn’t that interesting…” Mettaton hummed, pulling up more hologram windows, doing more research on this new discovery.

 

“what is it?” Sans tried to read each new window that popped up. Papyrus patted Mettaton’s shoulder as he scrolled through various articles and websites.

 

“It seems our little Starlet has a few _secrets_.” he smirked. “Either that, or her identity has been stolen. Sans, keep trying to find her. I’ll get to the bottom of this.” He was immediately on the phone with someone, sashaying into the hallway. Papyrus patted Sans on the head.

 

“I’M SURE SHE’S ALRIGHT, BROTHER. SHE MUST HAVE A GOOD REASON TO NEED SOLITUDE.” Papyrus sighed.

 

“you really think she just wants to be alone, pap? What if she’s hurt… or… ugh, i don’t even want to think about anything worse…” Sans shook his head and pulled his phone out. Still no response from his many texts.

 

“I WOULDN’T WORRY ABOUT ANY FOUL PLAY. AFTER ALL, SHE WAS TRAINED BY ME! THERE’S NO WAY SHE WOULD EVER BE DEFEATED IN COMBAT!” Papyrus’ confidence beamed. Sans gave him a small smile.

 

“hope you’re right, bro…” he mumbled. “i’ll check around again one more time… just to be sure.” Sans made his way down the hallway and began walking around the lot, checking every room. He made it back to your trailer.

 

The door was open and the light was on.

 

He teleported into the doorway.

 

“_______!!” he said, his eye glinting, ready to fight.

 

Your head was buried into your arms, leaning over your vanity, silently sobbing. Sans quietly walked over to you, gently placing a hand on your shoulder. You jumped and sat up with a gasp, turning to face him. Your eyes were red from hours of crying.

 

“_______…?” Sans grabbed a tissue from a box on the counter and dabbed at your eyes.  
“hey... you scared the shit out of me… what’s going on?”

You flung yourself at him, hugging him tightly as you burst into tears again.  
“h-hey... come on, you’re really freakin' me out here…” he laughed nervously, rubbing your back and pulling you in closer. After another minute, you were able to calm down enough to steady your breath. Sans pulled away enough to delicately brush the hair from your face and wipe a tear away with his sleeve.

“please talk to me.” he said softly.

 

“...She’s in a coma. She’s unresponsive. They called me because I have to decide what to do…” you explained, voice cracking.

 

“who…?”

 

“....classified.” you said, feeling your chest start to get heavy. Talking about her brought everything back. The pain you felt when you had to leave her. The years of telling yourself that you didn’t care…

 

“oh no. absolutely not. you still owe me three answers. you just disappeared on everyone without a word and if you want my help keeping them from prying, my price is you telling me who would bring you to your knees like this…” he was commanding… but gently so. You looked up at him, terrified. He comfortingly rubbed your shoulder. It took a moment but you mustered an answer.

  
  
  
“.... My mom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, have some exposition. Next chapter, shit gets real. Make sure your trays are put away and your seats are in the upright position. Good night, my lovelies.


	13. Life is Made of Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your world has just been flipped upside down, and what's worse, it looks like you'll have to introduce Sans to a few of the 'other' skeletons in your closet... This ought to go well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am obligated to warn you.... of impending sin.
> 
> Have fun, my lovelies... *devilish grin*

“No.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Mettaton! _I want. to go._ **_alone_ **!” you said through angry tears.

 

“Listen, my dear. At the end of the day, I still run a business. Cancelling a tour date has major consequences. Our ratings will drop, the press will have a field day, not to mention the refunds and drop in ticket sales we will suffer. You need to realize the sacrifice I’m making by letting you take an entire weekend to get your affairs in order.”

 

“For fuck’s sake, boss. This is… _fucking personal_ alright!? I never ask _you_ for _anything_!” you shouted. Mettaton’s eye flashed and you sat back down, feeling your stomach twist.

 

“And I would do **anything** for **you**. You do realize we are a family, right? Do not take me for some soulless machine. Your pain is my pain, darling.” his gaze bore into you. You looked away, unable to stop your tears from falling, but holding back the breakdown that was clawing at your throat. You hated this. This was why you never became close to anyone or anything… You couldn’t just come and go as you pleased… you had other people’s ‘feelings’ to consider. You knew Mettaton was only looking out for you. It’s just…

 

“Why can’t I take Papyrus instead?” you argued, covering your face.

 

“______, why are you fighting this? I thought you and Sans were friends.” Mettaton sat beside you and crossed his legs. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard to you, his scolding making you feel impossibly inferior.

 

“We-… Mettaton, it’s just… none of his business, okay? I just don’t understand why you can’t let me do this on my own. I’m not a child.”

Mettaton gently removed your hand from your face and held it.

 

“If I could go with you instead, I would. You can’t even go on the streets without some sort of disguise, because of the tension our kind has here. Can you imagine how dangerous it would be for you to travel alone for several days? It pains me to see you like this, and I’d love nothing more than to make you as comfortable as possible, but you need protection. Sans is the best possible option. Now. Either you stay and carry on with the show for another month until we are done here and I can accompany you, or you take your leave with Sans for the weekend. What shall it be?”

 

You withdrew your hand from him and stood, pacing.

 

“......Fine.” you growled, staring at your feet. You were sick to your stomach just thinking about all the prying you would have to endure during this very vulnerable time. It was just so… agitating… but you had to leave as soon as possible.  
Mettaton embraced you. It took everything in you not to break down in his arms. He let you go pack for your trip.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Sans sat across from your seat on Mettaton’s private jet as the two of you flew towards Iowa. You were absolutely determined to keep your headphones on and your head buried in a book. Sans was very delicate with you, feeling the warning to back off radiating from your soul with intensity. You would catch him staring occasionally, but he seemed to be content reading his astrophysics text book he brought.

 

After the plane landed, you both stood in line for a rental car, trying to remain nonchalant, staring at your phones for whatever reason. You were handed the keys and jumped into the small sedan, throwing both of your duffle bags into the back seat. After a few miles you stopped at a gas station, despite having a full tank. Sans stayed in the car. You returned after a moment with a pack of cigarettes and rolled down your window. Merging back onto the road, you lit one and angrily blew smoke out the cracked window.

The drive was silent for a good half hour before Sans lightly cleared his throat.

 

“... i’m sorry.” he stated.

 

“For what?” you sighed, eyes on the road.

 

“just... all of this.” he said, staring out the window. A softness washed over you as you were finally able to focus on something mind numbing. You told him you were cool, and you sure weren’t acting like it. It’s not like any of this was his fault...

 

“Thanks…” you leaned back into your seat a little more.You drove silently as dusk set in, painting the sky pink and orange above the miles and miles of corn.

 

“so. did you grow up here?” he asked casually. _And the prying begins!_ You instantly scolded yourself for being so irritable and drummed your fingers on the steering wheel, trying not to take everything out on poor Sans.

 

“Does that count as a question? I believe you only have two left.” you retorted.

 

“i can think of something a little more potent if that’s the case…” he chuckled, still staring out the window. “though, i believe it was more of a ‘classified’ veto. if you wanna be a jerk about it, i guess you can just call it as often is you want. but i might not be so nice.” he glanced over at you with a sly grin. You shook your head and took a drag, rolling your eyes.

 

“No, I didn’t grow up here. Well… I guess technically I did, but it wasn’t for very long. I moved here when I was 8. Left when I was 13. Does that count?” you shrugged.

 

“...huh. so where are you from?” he said, his attention on you now.

 

“New York.” you stated, pulling into the parking lot of an assisted living complex. You parked and took out the keys, staring down at your hands for a moment. You took another large drag and opened the door, pausing before you stood.

  
“You… don’t have to come in if you don’t want to…” you mumbled, looking over your shoulder.

 

“do you want me to come?” he gently asked. You thought for a moment. There was a part of you that began feeling desperate for any sort of comfort or distraction to get you through this. Maybe it would help if he came, who the fuck knows. You just wanted to get it over with. You dropped your cigarette and stamped it out.

 

“Sure.” you quipped, getting out of the car and walking towards the front doors. Sans followed, cautiously letting you lead.

 

“i didn’t know you smoked…” he said, trying not to sound concerned.

 

“Only when I need to get out of my head…” you grumbled.

 

“pretty bad habit.” he muttered. You walked faster.

 

“Yeah well, I’ve had far more destructive habits, so cigarettes are the most desperate I can let myself get, okay, asshole?” you snapped. Sans scoffed and silently followed. He scolded himself for pushing you while you were clearly distraught...

  
The two of you checked in at the front desk and were lead a few floors up. The nurse showed you to the apartment and guided you to the bedroom. You stopped just before the doorway, trembling a bit. It had been nearly a decade since you’d seen her last… _you shouldn’t have left her… you could have prevented this somehow… you can’t do this…_

You felt Sans’ hand gently take yours. He looked up at you with an encouraging nod towards the room. Swallowing hard, you nodded back and stepped inside.

 

The sight nearly made your knees buckle, gripping Sans’ hand tighter.

 

A woman in her late sixties lay comatose in a hospital bed, a handful of machines pulsing around her. She looked young for her age with short black hair and pale skin. It was remarkable how she looked nearly exactly the same as the day you left.  
Sans carefully helped you to a chair by her bedside, standing behind you. Leaning forward with your elbows on your knees, you took the moment in.

 

“Hey, lady…” you said softly, taking her hand. _It was so cold…_

 

“what’s her name?” Sans asked, touching your shoulder.

 

“Vivian…” you said, fighting back tears. “Vivian Carroll… She's pretty awesome... She's french, a boxer, a judge. A damn good one, too...” you laughed fondly. “But... you know, life has a way of just... well, she got sick…” you said, trying to remain calm, but wiping an escaped tear as it fell.  
“Huntington's Disease…”

 

Sans rubbed your shoulder comfortingly. “... i’m vaguely familiar…” he said, knowing he’d read about it in one of his biochemistry books a few months back...

 

“Neural deterioration… memory loss. I was 11 when it started…” you said, feeling the memories strangle you. You tensed up, trying to shove it all down. Sans wanted to hold you so badly, he was nearly trembling.

 

“Miss ______?” the nurse softly called, knocking on the doorframe. The both of you looked back. “The Doctor would like a word.”

You nodded and stood, making your way to the Doctor’s office, down the hall from Vivian’s apartment.

 

The Doctor explained the situation to you. She suffered a pretty horrific stroke. They had done several surgeries before that, most of which you had been paying off on the side with whatever funds you had at the time. However, it was all for naught. Vivian could continue to be kept on life support, despite the miniscule chance of her waking up, if you chose. Though, the Doctor highly recommended pulling the plug. You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt as he went over several options and expenses as far as vegetable care went. The Doctor would occasionally glance at Sans uncomfortably. It was likely his first time seeing a monster.

 

“So, what are your thoughts?” the Doctor asked after he concluded. You looked up, a little out of it, stumbling over your words.

“Nothing has to be decided now... Sometimes it’s best to sleep on it.” he politely suggested. “Go do something relaxing, if you can. Something to force you to really think.” The Doctor stood, causing you to stand as well. He shook your hand and held it a moment.  
“I was very good friends with Vivian. She was very sweet, regardless of everything she suffered… Just know that she’s leaving behind a lot of friends…” he gave you a sorrowful smile. You choked back a sob when you heard him use past tense pronouns… You nodded and turned towards the door.

 

Sans followed you back to the car. You both rode in silence for the majority of the ride.

 

\---------------------

 

“...so. are we staying in a hotel?” Sans finally broke the silence after nearly an hour.

 

“Nope.” you said deadpanned, as you pulled onto a back road, winding into a small patch of woods. The pavement turned to gravel as you pulled up to a decently sized old country home. The grass was a little overgrown and the mailbox was full to the brim. You parked and grabbed your bag from the back. Sans did the same, waiting for you to say something. Your silence, while he didn’t want to agitate you, was very unsettling.

 

“this your place?” he asked as you walked over to a flower pot on the far side of the porch and lifted it, pulling out a key.

 

“I guess it will be if… Well, I guess we’ll see…” you sighed, unlocking the door. It took a little bit of extra force to open, but you stepped in, the floorboards creaking underneath you. Everything was pretty dusty. Though, it looked like someone had been keeping it up until a few months ago.

“Welcome to my childhood home, I guess.” you said, sarcastically extending an arm towards the layout.

The house was two stories with two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, and a living room, dining room, kitchen and additional half bath at ground level. You made your way upstairs, Sans following close behind. The door to Vivian’s bedroom was already open. Her room was painted violet with pale rose furniture. You stepped inside and threw your duffle bag on her bed.

 

“I’ll take this bed. You can take mine.” you gestured across the hall. The doorway still had the remnants of stickers that spelled your name across the door that had been poorly peeled off. Sans gently opened the door. The room was striped lighter and darker shades of blue with white furniture. The style was very colonial. A small twin bed with a few old fluffy monsters from “Where the Wild Things Are” sitting in a row by the pillows. There was a closet filled with costumes as well as bookshelves that were populated with various historical and political works.

Sans smiled fondly, sitting on your bed and looking around at some of the framed childish art on the walls. He looked on the nightstand and saw a dusty, framed picture of, who he assumed was, Vivian and a miniature you. You had long (y/c) hair and missing teeth, looking embarrassed at some summer event as Vivian hugged you. Sans chuckled to himself, picking up the frame and rubbing the dust off.

 

He looked up when he heard you walking towards the door. You saw him with the frame in hand.

 

“Snoopin?” you teased, pulling your hair back.

 

“maybe. you can’t blame me. sort of hard not to.” he grinned. “sorta threw me into a gold mine here…”

You took the picture from him and smirked at it.

 

“God, I remember that. Ugh, I was so mad at her.” you snickered.

 

“what’d she do?” he smiled, leaning back on his hands.

 

“This, my friend, was the day she told me the Tooth Fairy didn't exist… which by extension I figured that the Easter Bunny, Santa and God didn't either.” you shrugged and placed the frame back on the night stand. Sans laughed softly, sitting back up. You both looked around the room awkwardly for a moment.

You crossed your arms and sighed. It had been a pretty exhausting day and you were pretty fucking sick of feeling your own feelings for the day. The doctor wanted you to relax, so relax you would most certainly do.

 

“Wanna get fucked up?” you blurted out. Sans looked at you a little surprised but shrugged.

 

“seems like you could use a little less sobriety. don’t worry. **_AL-COHOL_ ** a delivery service and have them shop for us. i’ve had enough driving for one day, if you don’t mind...” he said, pulling out his phone.

 

“I think there might be something left in some sort of cabinet here, if we’re lucky…” you mumbled, walking downstairs and tiptoeing through the dusty kitchen.

 

“is pizza okay??” Sans called, following you down the stairs, looking at his phone.

 

“Sure!” you called back, opening each cabinet.  
Bingo.

A half-bottle of rum. You had no idea how long it had been there… but it was alcohol, right? You opened the freezer. It was completely empty, save for a few ice trays. Two ice cubes graced some pink glass cups as you poured the rum into both, delivering a glass to Sans.

 

“Bottoms up.” you said and downed the glass with a grunt before Sans had even raised it to his lips. He looked at you with a concerned smile.

 

“huh... you were serious.”

 

“Deadly serious.” you smiled, pouring yourself another. Sans wasn’t sure this was something he should allow. Part of him felt like he was witnessing a bad habit, but shrugged it off. He’d rather not make you more upset. A swig of the rum and he followed you into the livingroom. You both sat on the couch and flipped on the rather dated TV. The reminiscent sound of static made your ears ring before the picture showed up. You flipped through a few channels before you settled for The Three Amigos.

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

You were nearly done watching Ace Ventura when you realized you had finished the second bottle of bourbon that was so graciously delivered with your pizza. Working for Mettaton had it’s perks. You pouted and put the bottle down, giggling. Sans was pretty tipsy as well, but maintaining a healthy buzz. You closed the empty pizza box and stood, wobbling a bit.

 

“Hey… Hey, you know what we should do?” you smiled and covered your face. You were happily inebriated, swaying playfully.

 

“what’s that?” he snickered.

 

“I should show you my secret place…” you said, wiggling your eyebrows. Sans smiled nervously, not entirely sure what you meant. You stumbled into the kitchen. Sans sat there, twiddling his thumbs as he heard you fumbling around with a few drawers. You came back into the living room and tossed him a flashlight. He looked up at you with a small smile and stood, following you towards the door. He followed you, feeling his buzz even stronger once stood and started moving.

You started walking towards the patch of woods behind your house, flicking the flashlight on, humming happily.

 

“where’re we goin, chica?” Sans chuckled, following close behind, admiring you.

 

“Shhhh…” you said, raising a finger to your smiling lips. The two of you walked a few yards until you found a clearing in the forest, standing in front of the remains of a treehouse. All that was left was the boarded foundation and a few posts where walls were, wisteria growing over the them. There was no ladder to get to it.  
Sans opened his mouth to ask how to get up there, but you were already climbing a tree a few feet beside it. You crossed a branch in a squirrely fashion and leapt onto the vine covered platform. Sans snickered and walked closer, looking up.

 

“i have a feeling that that’s the only way up?” he called, smiling and shaking his head. Your head popped out, looking down at him.

 

“Yup! Only the strong can dwell in my **_sky-land_ ** ! If you can’t pass the test, you’ll have to **_leaf!_ ** Hope you don’t get **_trunked on!!_ ** ” you giggled, sticking your tongue out. Sans’ eye glinted and suddenly he was right behind you. You gasped with a start, nearly falling backward.  
“Shit! I keep forgetting about that…” you said, hand to your chest. Sans laughed a bit, sitting cross legged.

 

“i take it you spent a lot of time up here.” he said, looking around. You nodded and hummed, crawling around on all fours and knocking a few floor boards until you found a hollow one. Prying the board up, you pulled out a tin lunchbox.

 

“Score!” you drunkenly cheered, crawling over to Sans and placing it in front of him. The lunch box took a little coaxing, but you managed to get it open, the hinges crackling with rust. Sans held the flashlight up, shining it into the box. You pulled out an old necklace, and a small pouch full of marbles.

“Yup. I’m one of those cheesy time-capsule bitches.” you giggled. “I got this necklace for my 10th birthday.” you chimed, holding up the small banana pendant.

 

“quite the a- **_PEEL_ ** -ing accessory.” he snickered.

“She calls me ‘monkey.’ I’m sure it’s pretty obvious why...” you laughed softly, looking at it. Your laughter faded into silence. Sans pulled out a zip-top bag that had a few polaroids in it. They were pretty faded, but he could make out the majority of them. A little you with that (y/c) hair and beautiful contrasting eyes sitting in a hospital bed with two thumbs up, marked ‘Tonsils!”

Another showed you holding up a few papers in Vivian’s Lap, marked “My new Momster!”

Sans looked up at you. Your eyes welled up with tears, staring at the little necklace.

 

“you’re adopted.” he said softly. His voice caught you a little off guard, looking up and nodding.  
“hey, we don’t have to talk about anything if you don’t want to…” he said, putting the pictures away. You took a deep breath and sighed, snickering a bit.

 

“Naw… I’m drunk. Plus, that’s like the number two reason I built this place. Just… talk about life and contemplate shit. Have alone time… She was the first person who really tried to understand that…” you slurred a bit, placing the necklace back in the box and closing it.

 

“heh... what’s the _number one_ reason you built this place?” Sans asked, trying to lighten the mood. You smiled and reached for his flashlight, turning his off, then your own.

 

“This.” you said, looking up. Sans followed your eyes and above your was a perfect circle of trees, framing the clearest view of the milky way he’d ever seen. A small gasp escaped him, mouth agape.

 

“w-wow…” he said, nearly emotional.  
You laid down with a sigh, staring upward. Sans watched you, lying adjacently with your heads beside each other.  
“that... sure is somethin.” he said softly as his eyes returned to the sky.

 

There was a peaceful moment as a breeze blew by.

 

“When I said I was from New York… I meant that’s where I ended up when I was  old enough to remember.” you started. Sans looked at you for a moment, your eyes remaining on the sky and your face was calm, though your voice still a little tipsy.

“I don’t really know where I was born… or who my parents are. What they look like… I was sort of just left on the street.” you confessed. Sans eyed you for a moment longer before looking back at the sky. He paused to see if you would continue.

“So… I was pretty much passed from house to house. It’s funny how people think orphanages are like these boarding school type gigs, when really you’re only there for a day, maybe a week before they send you to some random family… Do they have orphanages for monsters?”

 

“.... not really.” Sans softly answered. “i sorta wish they did… would have made life easier for paps and i growin up. our dad died pretty early on and we were on our own. paps doesn't even remember him…”

 

Another moment of silence.

 

“so, you met vivian in a foster home?” he asked. You were quiet.

 

“Classified…” you said softly.

 

“.... would you murder me if i used my veto?” he said with a half smile, but asking genuinely. You felt a little spinny. The alcohol was doing a good job taking the edge off, but the happy stages were fading into the massive retractions of dopamine. Everything started to feel hopeless. So… Fuck it. Might as well…

 

“She found me after I had been chased down by some older kids I stole something from. They… pushed me off a three story building. I have no idea how I even survived… but I wouldn’t have if she wasn’t in the right place at the right time. For the longest time I thought she was this angel that found me. Like it was fate… She happened to be in town for a case, when she was a lawyer, and happened to get lost around the street where I was fucking dying…. Like if that isn’t some freaky destiny universe shit, I don’t know what is…” you snickered a little, though tears were starting to fall.

 

Sans’ eyes were fixed on you now, studying the curves of your features that he could make out in the darkness. You continued staring upward, locked in the flow of conversation.

 

“Anyway… it was a dream… like everything fucking good in this world, it didn’t last.” you scoffed with a small smile. “Huntington’s started taking her after a year or two… first it was little things like what day it was, her friends’ birthdays, leaving the stove on… She kept trying to combat it and hide it from me… Then after another year, she had no idea who I was. I had to remind her… pretty much every morning. The same thing over… and over… and over… ‘Good Morning, Mom. I’m your daughter, _______. Yes, really.’ It broke… It broke my heart watching the only person who ever gave a shit about me fade away right in front of me... Sometimes she would remember at random… Like after days of repeating the same thing over and over, she would suddenly call me by name and ask me a question like nothing was wrong. I--...” you stopped, choking back a sob.

“I would get so happy… like this was all going to come out alright… that it was worth fighting for…”

 

“....fighting for?” Sans asked, captivated.

 

“The state pretty much deemed her an unfit guardian when things started getting bad. Her reputation was also on the line once a few convicted felons started arguing that she couldn’t have made accurate sentences with that kind of disability… it all happened so fast…” you wiped some tears away. “Eventually, there was nothing they could do… They admitted her to an assisted living space and I was going to be put back in foster care…”

 

“.....did you go?”

 

“Fuck no.” you snorted, wiping more tears away, your speech becoming a little more stuffed up.

“I did what any sensible orphan would do… I ran away and joined the circus. People already thought I was a freak… might as well join them...” you shrugged, smiling. “The rest is history…”

 

Sans rolled over onto his stomach and propped himself up onto his elbows, looking at you. His pupils glowed slightly in the dark. You used to find it creepy, but in this drunken moment of vulnerability, you found them fascinating.

 

“how do you do it.” he said flatly.

 

“Do what?”

 

“go on. after something like that… after you’re forced to watch someone you love virtually die over and over even though they’re right in front of you every morning regardless…” his eyes were intense… yet soft. You observed him for a moment. His smile was gone, mouth nearly closed as he waited for your response. His hands were folded beneath him as his eyes hovered just over yours.

 

 

_How do you do it...?~ By Me!_

 

 

 

“..... The moment. Now. Life is so fucking fleeting... You just… learn to appreciate it. Not in the way a fucking hallmark card puts it… I mean really being thankful for **_every. single. moment._ ** Knowing that at any point, life as you know it could be ripped out from under you. Sure, you’ll always find a way to move forward, that’s the only way there is to go… there are sequences that carry the illusion of stability, but it’s all just organized chaos... but just making sure you make you choices with the consideration that you may never see that place, that meal, that show, or that person, ever again… you might as well try and make it the happiest moment ever. In the end, there’s really no such thing as a bad decision… or a good one… it’s all relative… There are only _interesting_ decisions…” you answered seriously.

 

Sans stared at you intently.

 

He shifted his elbows to either side of your head, his face hovering over yours. You felt that pit in your stomach start to form again, though the alcohol was doing a good job converting it into butterflies simultaneously. His thumb traced your cheek for a moment.

 

“....What are you doing?” you whispered, feeling your face flush.

 

“.................living in the moment.” he said softly.

 

 

 

_Living in the Moment~ by @adlez-axel_

 

 

Sans kissed you, slowly and tenderly. His chin gently touched your nose and your eyes widened. You didn’t react immediately, your mind a bit slow. Infact you may have leaned into it a little instinctively. For a moment all of this madness was silenced….

….No. This wasn’t good. You shouldn’t have let him do this… Fuck…

 

After a second or two he pulled away. You slowly and carefully pushed his shoulder, guiding him to sit up. His cheeks were dusted with a blue blush that seemed to glow like his pupils.

“i-i’m sorry….” he said, looking at you with some remorse. “i’m an idiot…”

 

You sat up, looking at him with a pretty… odd expression. He couldn’t tell if he should be on his guard for an imminent attack or get ready for a life without you after you leave his presence for good this time.

 

“________?” he said, hesitantly reaching for you. You looked at his hand and sighed.

 

“It’s… okay. Let’s just go back inside.” you said, shaking you head. “I’ve had way too much…” you chuckled. Sans smiled nervously and picked up the lunchbox.

 

“do you want to take this with us?” he asked, standing. You nodded. He extended a hand. “we can take a short-cut if you want…?”

You looked up at him and smirked, taking his hand. He pulled you into a hug.

Okay NOW your mind was starting to fuck with you as you felt your face getting hotter, feeling him press against you.

 

“hold on.” he winked.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and the world suddenly began to dissolve around you. The air was thin and like static all over your skin. Then, with a zap, you were suddenly in your living room. Your head spun and you fell into him. He held you up, laughing a little.

“you okay, there, bro?” he snickered.

 

“I… am pretty positive that I hate that…” you said, trying not to puke.

 

The two of you got ready for bed, barely saying a word to each other. After you had both brushed your teeth and gotten in pajamas, you stood across from each other in the hallway. You had no idea why you felt the need to wait for him to be ready for bed before you could go to bed yourself… maybe you were just delirious at this point from stress and booze…

 

“Well… um…. Goodnight.”

 

“yeah.” he said, reaching for the doorknob behind him and missing, then quickly trying to correct himself. You both stood in an awkward silence for a moment before you smirked and closed your door, pulling back the covers and began settling in.

 

 

 

…. Unfortunately, so did the depression.

 

 _The reality of the situation began to sink in._ _  
_ _You would likely be burying Vivian soon… maybe tomorrow… maybe in a month…_

_How the fuck were you supposed to make a decision like this…_

_The only person who ever loved you…_

_Wasn’t this supposed to be easier?_

_She had been dead to you for years… so why was this hard…_

_Because you love her._

_You paid to keep her happy even though she would never be able to thank you._

_You didn’t care._

_As long as she was smiling._

_As long as she felt joy the way she brought it to you…_

_This is real._

_She is going to die._

_The only decision was_ **_when_ ** _._

_She is going to die and you are the one who is going to make that call._

 

You began sobbing. This was way too much… You hated it. You wanted… needed to shut your mind up… you wished you had something stronger than alcohol… heroin, cocaine, some other old habit from yesteryear…

Fuck…

 

You sat up, looking at your closed door.  
**_Were you that desperate....?_ **

 

The vision of Vivian in a casket crept into your mind… and answered your question for you.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Sans laid in bed absolutely frustrated with himself.

You were drunk. Why did he kiss you?

Idiot…

 

He heard the floorboards creak and heard your door shut. Sans sat up a little, listening. His doorknob started to turn and you cracked the door.

 

“______?” he whispered. You slowly tiptoed in and shut the door behind you. You saw his pupils in the dark and doubted yourself a moment more before walking to the bed. Sans sat up straight, looking concerned. You crawled onto the bed and rested on all fours in front of him, your face closing in on his. Sans backed away a little, trying to understand what you were doing, his breath fluttering a little  
You begged yourself to just let this all disappear for a moment. Here was a being who you know cared for you… was willing to do anything for you. You knew this is what he wanted. Maybe making him happy would make you happy…

 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, resting your face in the crook of his neck. Sans froze up for a moment until you relaxed. He melted in your embrace, pulling you in and holding you closer. He breathed deeply into your hair, intoxicated by your scent, hardly believing this was happening… but.. something was off somehow… he felt it in your soul…

 

You weren’t sure if skeleton’s worked like humans did… but it was worth a shot. You started softly kissing his vertebrae. Sans shivered, holding you closer, the sharp tips of his phalanges digging into your back through your shirt. A small moan escaped him as his head fell back. You slipped a hand underneath his shirt, finding his lumbar spine, gently wrapping your hand around it.

Sans breathed in sharply through his teeth, moaning again. He pushed you back a little to face you, running a hand through your hair. He leaned in to try and kiss you, but you intercepted in and guided his head into your neck. Kissing was… still too intimate. _This was just fun_ , you told yourself…

Sans happily complied and lightly grazed his teeth along your neck. You bit your lip and closed your eyes, the madness fading away and this moment becoming the center of everything. You tugged at his shirt and he shifted so you could pull it up over his head. He gently pushed you back as you threw it on the floor. Your hands traced his ribs, somewhat intrigued by them. Sans shuddered, whispering your name and placing his hand over yours.

 

He was being too gentle… you needed this to go faster.

 

You laced your fingers into his ribs and pulled him on top of you, grinding your hips against him. Grabbing his hand, you guided it to your breast, your lips finding his neck again.

The sudden change of pace made Sans’ head spin.

You felt so good… you sounded so… good.

He wanted you so… badly...

Sans cradled your neck as he felt you lightly nibble his vertebrae, trying to hold back from tearing your clothes to shreds. He wanted more… he almost needed more.

 

But this wasn’t right.

Your soul was crying out.

He couldn’t ignore it.

 

“h-hey…” he said softly, pulling away a little.

 

 _No… no please don’t stop…_ You desperately slid a hand into his pants. He shifted a little, trying to pull away, but you were able to loop a few fingers around his pubis and start rubbing. Sans choked a bit, his eye flashing blue, moaning and dropping his head a little. He grabbed your wrist and pulled your hand up, breath heavy.

 

“______…” he said weakly, starting to tremble.

 

“Shh…” you hushed, running your tongue along his clavicle.

 

“a-ahh… s-stop…” he said, sitting up. You tried to pull him back down, but he grabbed your hands, holding them in his.

“_______, you… you don’t want this…” he said, his hands shaking.

 

“ _You_ do…” you said, trying to keep your voice from cracking. _Was he… really rejecting you?_

 

“that’s... irrelevant…” he said softly, pulling you up. You tried to close in on him, but he pressed his palm against your chest.  
“_______, hey… it’s okay… shh…” he said, feeling your breath shorten.

 

“Please…” you said, fighting back tears. Now you felt humiliated… pathetic…

 

“not like this… i know you, ______… and i… care for you. more than you know… i know how badly this hurts… believe me i know better than anyone and… and i would never let you do something i know you’d regret. you mean way too much to me, do you understand?”

 

You broke down, softly sobbing. _What the fuck was wrong with you..._ Sans pulled you into a loving embrace. You buried your face into his shoulder.

 

“I-I’m so sorry… I’m-”

 

“shhhh... hey…. shhhh, you’re not thinking clearly… everything you’re telling yourself is a lie. you’re brain is fried from stress… it’s okay… just rest…” he said, stroking your hair, rocking you gently. You cried for a few minutes, before the sobs started fading, nearly passing out in his arms. He carefully laid you down and slowly tried to get up. You pulled his arms a little.

 

“Please don’t go…” you whimpered. Sans thought for a moment before nodding and crawling back into bed beside you. He waited for you to drift into a deep sleep before sitting up and moving your head to rest on a pillow on his lap.

Stroking your hair, he looked down at you with sympathy. Hopefully… this wouldn’t drive a rift further between the two of you… He wasn’t quite sure how to feel… Did you have feelings for him… or was this all just… some endless game the two of you would play.

  
  
For now… you looked peaceful. That was good enough for him. In this moment at least...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOOOOOOOOOOO MAN!!
> 
> Howsabout that angst!?
> 
> So I was tempted to split this into two chapters, but i figured you guys deserved a nice long one this go round.  
> Again, thank you to everyone who has been so kind and supportive to me. I know I say it too much, but I love you guys. Thank you for being amazing~~!!


	14. Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post a long chapter, but was running out of time and had to revamp a few things. I love you all. Thank you guys for still being so supportive.

You woke up alone.   
  
A sudden, terrible wave of de-ja-voux washed over you as you looked around your childhood room from your old bed with the scent of… breakfast wafting through the air. 

_ Wait… **Breakfast**? _

You stretched and sat up, feeling far more exhausted than you probably should be… Your head was pounding, the inevitable hangover setting in. Joints creaking, you stood and sauntered to the door, a creak echoing throughout the house as you opened it and winced at the sound. 

Making your way downstairs, you wandered into the kitchen where Sans was sliding some bacon onto your plate, already set at the table. He looked up, seeming a little surprised.

“oh. mornin.” he smiled nervously. Your expression was likely unreadable with how awful you felt. Did he really go to the grocery store and buy kitchenware and supplies just to make this… for you? You didn't even know he could cook. Another pang in your head allowed you to shove  all questions to the back of your mind for more more primal priorities. You wobbled to your seat and scarfed down a slice of bacon, closing your eyes with a deep, satisfied breath. Bacon always made everything better. Sans smiled and went back to the stove, gathering a few more things.

“Fankyo” you mumbled, mouth full. He grunted in response and laid down a plate of decent looking scrambled eggs and sausage. You didn’t even bother plateing any of it, grabbing your fork and shoveling a huge chunk of egg in your mouth with no regard for etiquette. Sans sat across from you, leaning on his palm with a smirk.

“need anything?” he quipped. You held your forehead and swallowed with a gratified sigh.

“Uh-uh…” you whimpered. You heard rattling, looking up to see him handing you a bottle of pills.

“you uh… sure got sloshed last night…” he chuckled. Taking the bottle, you served up three pills and dry-swallowed them, then forked a sausage link and bit into it, trying not to look at him. You vaguely remembered last night. The moment in your sanctuary… leaning over the ledge of a panic attack… and...    
What the hell were you thinking… Sans probably thinks you’re a completely insane, unstable mess… While he’s not really wrong, still, he didn’t deserve that from you… You felt your cheeks flush as you continued to stuff your face to avoid talking.

“_______… it’s okay… i don’t hate you or anything. you’re going through something that’s pretty earth shattering so… it’s understandable if you act a little weird, kay…?”

For some reason he struck a nerve. A little weird? A little weird?? You were blatantly trying to use him for the sake of escapism. How was he not completely disgusted with you? You would be disgusted with you!    
You stood and walked towards the stairs. As you turned the corner, Sans was already at the top. You gasped with a start.

“Fuck!! Don't  _ do _ that!” you scolded.

“sorry…” Sans sighed. “habit.”   
You huffed and walked past him into Vivian’s room. As you put together an outfit for the day, Sans leaned in the doorway.

“i know you might not want to talk about it… and i know now might not be the best time to push…” he mumbled. You began looking for your phone around the room, sighing angrily.

“Then don’t, Sans.” you resolved.

“i don’t wanna, believe me… but it’s something that should probably be cleared up just in case… i dunno, anything happens?”

You found your phone. It was dead. Fuck. You dug through your bag looking for your charger.

“______?”

You stopped and looked at him with a piercing glare. He looked at you with a very serious expression.

“What do you want me to say, huh? You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I was drunk. I was upset. I ‘acted weird.’” you huffed, plugging in your phone and waiting for it to return to life. Sans nudged off the doorframe and approached you. You backed away a little, noticing how nervous he suddenly made you. It only made you angrier. 

“What do you want from me?” you said, standing your ground.

“i just want to know what exactly i am to you…” he said softly. “i know you care about me. but there’s this undefined tension that might make us end up hating each other unless we try and figure it out, ya know…?” 

You felt cornered. You in no way wanted to think about this right now, even though it was something you knew you’d have to meditate on eventually. Searching for some sort of response that would pacify him without digging yourself deeper, you picked at your nails, sighing.

“.... do you have any feelings for me. like... even a little.” Sans pulled the trigger. Shit. 

_ SHIT! _

_ Whoop, there it is… _

You stood there, staring at him in a stupor.

Your phone buzzed, snapping you out of it. You silently thanked the fates for the intervention until you saw the notification for 4 missed calls from the Doctor and several e-mails… your stomach dropped as you stuttered a bit. There were two voicemails.

Something was wrong… A part of you knew what it was before you even opened the file. Your hands began to tremble as you stared down at your phone. Sans realized something wasn’t right and ducked into your line of sight a bit, touching your shoulder.

“_______?” He said calmly. “what’s wrong…?”

 

You hit the icon to play the message and sat on your bed, your hand gripping the bedspread. Sans stood in front of you with anticipation.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


She had another stroke.

  
  
  
  
  


Vivian was gone.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


\----------------------------------------

  
  
  


You sat in the driver’s seat of the car. It was drizzling outside, a chilly morning in October… Your eyes were so sore from crying, but tears kept coming despite your sobbing having stopped hours ago. You had been crying ever since you listened to the voicemail. Sans had completely taken the wheel as far as decision making. He would occasionally ask you a question and speak on your behalf, but mostly left you alone in Vivian’s room. That night you’d cried yourself to sleep, waking up in Sans’ lap again. He bought you a few things to wear to the service.

 

No matter how you coaxed yourself, you just couldn’t bring yourself to get out of the car. Sans was out there, making light conversation with the funeral director, trying to buy you some time. 

Another few minutes and you groaned. Enough. You kicked your own ass out of the car.

 

The casket was suspended above the grave underneath a pitched white tent. You wore some jeans and chucks with a new plain black t-shirt and a plain black hoodie. Shuffling over to the tent, you stood in the rain, hood pulled up, hands in your pockets. Sans was wearing slacks and a black button down. He and the Funeral Director looked up at you, their conversation coming to a halt.

 

“Are you ready to begin…?” The Director carefully asked. You nodded and walked up to the casket. Thunder softly rolled in the distance as you stood silently in front of that damn box. You had become numb, deadpanned. 

 

“Do either of you have anything to say?” The Director said after a few minutes of silence passed by. 

 

Nothing came to mind. What was there to say? You owed this woman your life and did your best to repay her. It’s over. It’s done.

You placed your hand on the casket.   
There were no words...

Sans stopped the Director from interrupting you.

 

Your hand slid off and you placed it in your pocket.

 

Sans nodded to the Director and he cleared his throat. A switch was flipped and a mechanical pulley lowered the casket into the grave. You were positive you would break down in this moment on the way here. You had almost rehearsed it. Yet here you stood, still and quiet. The casket reached the bottom and you felt Sans’ hand touch your shoulder. The two of you exchanged a blank glance for a moment before you closed your eyes with a deep sigh. He pat your shoulder, sighing back at you.

You turned and made your way back to the car. Sans said something to the director and followed you. It began to rain a little harder, as he chased you opening an umbrella and trying to shield you, but you ducked into the car before he really made a difference.  

Sans got in and the two of you made your way back to your house.  
  


“....how you holdin’ up.” Sans said softly, thinking ahead and offering you a cigarette. You looked over, a little touched by his concern, taking it apathetically. He handed you a lighter and you rolled down your window. There was another moment of silence.

“Thank you.” you stated.

“no problem.” he smiled.

“No, really… You’re… I just…” you stammered, exhausted.

“i get it…” he said, touching your shoulder again. You stopped at a red light and the two of you exchanged a glance that made the air a bit thick. There wasn’t a pit this time. Only butterflies.

After you arrived home, Sans was prepared, ordering take-out and booze. After taking off your entire outfit and throwing it in the garbage, you changed into a tank top and sweatpants. You laid on the couch while he set up a spread on the coffee table, flipping on Turner Classic Movies. You both watched Frankenstein quietly for a while. Sans seemed to anticipate anything you needed and was quick to provide. Mettaton called to check on the two of you; Sans answered so you wouldn’t have to worry about it. You’d never seen him this active. Watching him pace on the phone caused you to start truly observing him. Without his coat he was much smaller, especially in fitted pants. Watching his expressions change was fascinating, his skull seeming to move fluidly despite appearing solid. You had to keep reminding yourself that he wasn’t an actual skeleton, but a Monster that resembled one. Your thoughts started to wander back to what his ribs felt like… his teeth on your neck.   
You hadn’t really had a chance to really sit down with yourself about that moment… 

Sans pivoted and caught you staring. You nonchalantly looked back at the TV and bit into a hot wing. He stared for an extra moment, a small smirk curling and said his goodbyes to Mettaton. Crossing over to the couch, he plopped down on the other end and handed you back your phone, grabbing a breadstick. 

“Boss okay?” you asked, wiping your mouth and grabbed another wing. 

“yeah. you’re gonna be in for it once we’re home. crowd was none too pleased when they found out you were playing hookie.” he smiled. 

“Eh, well.. That’s show business.” you shrugged. Sans reached into the paper bag that contained the spirits and pulled out a bottle of tequila.    
  
“i believe i owe you a ‘tempers and tequila’ session…” he chuckled. You smiled back, as he poured some with a splash of margarita mix. Handing you a glass, he propped his feet up beside yours, facing you. He raised it.

“to vivian.”

You smiled and sighed, starting to feel a little more relaxed, raising your glass and taking a big gulp. 

“so…” Sans swirled his glass. “you said she was french. do you speak french?”

“Not really,” you chortled. “She sure as hell tried. There was a time where I was semi-fluent. It was just so long ago…” you sighed, haphazardly watching the movie. “She really tried with me, ya know… She sent me to a private school and had me in gymnastics. I was in like... yearbook club and shit. Totally normal life. For a minute there, at least…” you laughed and trailed off.

“Well… what about you? Do you speak any other languages…?”

“yeah. a few.” he sipped his drink.

“I know you can speak Japanese.” you quipped, things starting to feel familiar. It was nice after everything...

“well, yeah. we spent a lot of time in the underground… you get bored so you have to get creative sometimes. read a lot of books, studied a lot of philosophy…” he said, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. “but, to answer you; i’m pretty okay at german, spanish, italian, i’m better at latin though…”

“Latin…?’

“i’m a professional nerd, remember? knowing latin makes life easier when deciphering different theories and old journals. some of the greatest minds came out of europe. sometimes i would seek out some sort of source to learn. sometimes i just got used to using context clues to get the gyst until it became second nature. you’d be surprised how similar everything is…”

“...How long were you in the underground?”

Sans looked at you, his smile fading.

“....... a while.”

“Why don’t you like to talk about it?” you said, finishing your drink, the tequila loosening your lips a bit.

“because it was a bad time…” Sans’ glare became a touch icy, warning you. You didn’t take the hint.

“How old even are you?” you leaned up and poured yourself more tequila. 

“classified.” he leered.

“Seriously, you won't even tell me your age?” you scoffed.

“i’m older than i look…” he mumbled.

“You’re a fucking skeleton. In human culture that means you’re pretty damn ancient.” you snickered. Sans grumbled unamused. He finished his drink and poured himself more as well. Sans sat up and leaned in, sipping his new drink with a grunt.

“why did you try to sleep with me.” he said bluntly. You choked on your drink and looked up at him in horror. He was dead serious. How the fuck were you supposed to answer that.

“Class--”

“see, i’m gonna stop you there and go ahead with my last veto.” he said, handing you a napkin for the spilled tequila on your shirt.    
You glared at him and sat up, dabbing your shirt as you thought of literally anything to say. Did you go with complete honesty or whatever would satisfy him? Even then, you had no idea what would satisfy him. Oh well. Guess this was bound to happen eventually. It was nice knowing you, buddy.

“Because… I wanted to feel better.” you said flatly.

“i thought you said you don’t do relationships.” he retorted.

“Who the fuck said anything about a relationship? I just wanted to have sex! I wanted to clear my fucking head for a minute and… it’s just a healthier means of coping than getting numbingly drunk or high, right? Like… I knew it was a bad idea but at the time I didn’t fucking care. I wanted to feel better and you-” you stopped yourself before you said something stupid. Sans seemed to be on the edge of his seat, leaning in a bit. You blushed and looked around. What the fuck were you trying to say.

“I… I feel good when I’m around you, okay? You’re my best friend too and I care about you way too much to risk that with how… fucked up I am. I don’t do relationships because they’re stupid and messy and just… unnecessary! Like, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to fuck someone without all of that fucking… weight, right?”

Sans just silently watched you, processing everything.

“I mean it didn’t even have to be sex. In fact, it’s not even about sex. When I’m depressed, I like to help people or make them happy. I knew that’s what you wanted and… I don’t know. I was a total fucking idiot and I’m really sorry…” 

“so... do you have feelings for me?” he asked shyly, drumming his fingers on his glass.

“I don’t… love you. If that’s what you mean. Not the way you’re implying, at least…” you said honestly.

“so…” he finished his drink and set his glass down. “you’re afraid if we slept together that would ruin our friendship.”

“Only because I don’t think it would mean the same for me as it would for you… and it would get to you. It always does.” you shrugged.

“well. i don’t love you either. not the way you think i’m implying, at least…” he smirked. “honestly... i’m not even sure how to even quantify that after tori…” 

“I’m sorry… just… why are we talking about this?” you said, feeling your tequila. “What exactly are you getting at?”

“..... i guess i’m just reminding you to refrain from assuming what i’m feeling and what i can handle.” he said, reaching for your hand and holding it to his cheek. “and... if you want… i don’t mind adding some benefits to this friendship.”

Your eyes widened and you blushed furiously. He was rather flushed as well, slowly turning his head and kissing your palm. Your brain short circuited for a moment before lightly shaking your head and really coming to terms with whether or not you wanted this… if he knew what he was signing up for.

“....No strings?”

“no more than we have now.”

“......... I’m not, nor will I be, your girlfriend.”

“s’fine with me…” he began kissing your wrist, seeming to enjoy the feel of your pulse against his closed mouth. He eyed you, arching a brow. 

“...................... I don’t love you.”   
  
“i don’t love you, too.”

  
  
  
  


__ The two of you sat there, locked in a stare.   
  
  


 

_ ….waiting for one of you to make the next move. _


	15. A Skeleton of Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to see about them benefits~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SIN AHOOOYYY~~!! For those of you who want to skip, go right ahead. You can comment next chapter and I'll fill you in on any details if you did. Have fun, my babies~!!

How the fuck do you start something like this?

  
You had to admit, you had a morbid curiosity as to how Sans ticked that was probably equally matched.

  
Your hand slid from his cheek to his forehead and started tracing his brow, feeling the slight tension in whatever his skull was made of as he blinked, smirking inquisitively. You looked completely enamoured, leaning in and standing on your knees, holding his face. He watched you as you studied him, admiring your smile.  
His eyes were a particular type of dark. You couldn't see the bottom, appearing as if it were dark matter. The pinpricks of light that formed his pupils appeared far more solid from a distance, but up close it almost carried the same effect as when light would shine through water. Some sort of internal source materializing into a focal point somewhere in those optical voids. His nasal cavity carried the same darkness.

  
You traced his... lips? You'll go with lips even though they were more like... malleable edges of his mouth, with your fingertip. He playfully bit at you, making you jump a little. You both laughed a little nervously.

"having fun?" he snickered. You nodded as you felt his hands slowly slide over your hips and guide you into a straddling position. You sat in his lap, facing him, blushing a little, your attention drawn back to his mouth.

"So... is it just black in your mouth too?" you smirked. Sans smiled. His left eye began to glow blue, the iris much larger than the right side, and he opened up, a bright blue tongue stationary in the bed of his teeth. You couldn't help but make a squeal of intrigue, cocking your head for a better look. He laughed softly, tonguing one of his fangs.

"Can I like... touch it?" you said, way too wrapped up in your exploration than you probably should have been. Sans shrugged and he leaned his head back. You coaxed his jaw open a little more and looked inside. The same darkness formed toward where his throat would be, his tongue seeming to fade into the edges of his mandible. So fucking cool.  
He closed his mouth and cupped your cheek, his thumb resting on your lips.

"can i...?" he said, blushing a little.

"Oh, it's nowhere near as interesting." you smiled, tucking your hair behind your ear.

"to you, maybe. i've never really been this close to a human before. not like this anyway. i've read some stuff and done procedures but you don't really have free reign to do.... what you want." he said, taking a deep breath as he looked you up and down.

"Oh, so this is just an experiment?" you teased. "A study of anatomy?"

"shut up..." he said, smiling shyly.

"Are we going to play doctor?" you snickered.

"We can play a game where the scary monster eats the human, unless you wanna tone down the sass." he smirked and poked your side. You laughed and snorted at his attempt to be intimidating and rolled your eyes. You opened your mouth, looking around the room innocently.  
Sans smiled and pinched your tongue pulling it out a little further. You almost gagged, but moved forward to avoid the tug.

“shit, did i hurt you?” he said, letting go.

“Uh… yeah. The mouth is like one of the most sensitive areas on humans, so be careful.”

Sans smiled nervously and gently pressed his thumb on your tongue, looking around inside, the blue light in his eye assisting his exploration.

“heh... your tongue is so small. it’s adorable.”

“Wha-eh-ah.” you rolled your eyes. Sans turned his hand and felt the roof of your mouth with his two middle fingers. You awkwardly avoided eye-contact, feeling a little vulnerable. Sans slid his fingers a little too far back and you gagged. He snapped his hand back and touched your shoulder as you coughed.

“okay okay, i’ll stop.” he laughed.

“You sure know how to romance a girl.” you teased. Sans’ eye glinted yellow for a moment and he very quickly shifted with his arm holding your back, slamming you down on the couch and crawling on top of you, your knees grazing the side of his hips. You smiled, impressed.

“maybe i’ll just use something else to feel around…” he said deviously, lightly pinching your chin to open your mouth again and sliding the tip of his tongue against yours.

You desperately wished you could find the words to describe the feeling of his tongue. It was this perfect marriage of soft, smooth, cool density; then at the same time, warm and almost tingly. He pulled you into a deep kiss by the back of your neck. You felt it all the way to your core.  
There was a sudden shock of danger as you involuntarily pushed him off. He looked back at you with a little confusion, his tongue still lulling out.

“S-sorry…you’re fine… just... that’s a little too intimate…” you said, blushing wildly and looking away.

“hey, it’s okay.” he said, brushing the hair from your face. “... in fact, maybe we should go ahead and lay down some ground rules.” he said, continuing to study your face, combing your hair back several times.

“so… no kissing, check. i would also like to refrain from any… romantic talk.”

“Too personal..?”

“for now, yeah. It'll help keep this simple. besides, last time i gave you a genuine compliment you sort of freaked out so… yeah……. I wouldn't mind dirty talk, though.” Sans traced the subtle ridge of your eye-socket, thoughtfully.

“also… i don't think anyone should know about this…” he looked a little concerned. You thought for a moment trying to figure out that one. You assumed no one would care.

“May I ask why?”

“well… first off, I know that mettaton wouldn't really be okay with it. he and i may have spoken about it already. he's pretty adamant about coworkers not getting involved…”

“What? Whatever! He's dating your brother!”

“yeah, but pap isn't his employee. just... trust me, it wouldn't be good. plus… if anyone else knew, they would probably assume things or try to make this, you know… something it’s not. best to try and avoid complications n stuff…”  
After thinking about it for a moment, you saw his point. If Undyne ever found out you would never hear the end of it. Not to mention what would happen if Toriel knew… though, you had to admit the thought of this secret game was a little thrilling. Still, you weren't all that down with lying.

“Okay. Deal. But if anyone asks me about it directly I won't hide it. While it's no one's business, it's also not that big of a deal so… people can get over it.”

“It… might not be that simple with Mettaton and Papyrus… especially Papyrus.”

“..... You sure you wanna do this then?”

Sans looked at you a little surprised. He slowly dug his hips into yours, a sly smile spreading across his face. You bit your lip and smiled back mischievously.

“You have no idea…” he said, low and husky. You laughed softly, raising a brow.

“mind if I keep exploring…?” he said softly, already taking the liberty to close in on your neck, his breath hot.

“Go right ahead.” you hummed.  
His tongue traced your collar bone, seeming to press firmly, gently poking into the softer flesh in between your bones. You were going to say some sassy remark when your thoughts were cut off by his teeth pressing into your shoulder. Goosebumps washed over your body with a small gasp. He hummed against you happily.

“mmmmm… i like that sound.” he chuckled against your skin.

Your hands found their way to his back, feeling his spine through his shirt. You found yourself feeling a little awkward. Nice, but awkward. You’d never really been a receiver, far more of a giver. Taking control in fits of passion was your preference, yet you didn't want to harsh his buzz here. What the hell were you supposed to do to reciprocate?  
Sans tugged at your shirt, lifting it over your bra. He pulled away from your neck and took a look at your core. Your ribcage seemed to fascinate him the most as he gently traced between a few of them with his fingertips. Your intercostals were usually pretty sore from performing so it felt pretty nice. You sighed with a smile.

“you like that?” he smirked.

“Yeah. Massages are always nice. My poor body goes through a lot”

“it’s so surreal… all of this extra.... stuff.” he said, his hand firmly gripping the side of your torso.

“Must be odd for you, huh. Honestly the fact that you’re attracted to me is a bit of a phenomenon.” you teased.

“kinda… i mean your physical appearance definitely doesn't hurt,” he arched a brow, spreading his hand across your stomach and tracing the underside of your bra. “but it's not a monsters basis for attraction usually... monsters they just sort of maintain a physical form with magic. There's really no such thing as surgery. Injections and medicine, yeah, but organs and muscles are a pretty new concept.”

“ooohhh baby, talk nerdy to me.” you cooed.  
Sans scoffed and grabbed your sides, tickling you. You squealed and fought, grabbing his wrists. He twisted out of your grip and grabbed yours, pinning them above your head.

“are you sure you don't need any help ‘boning’ me?” you snickered. Sans rolled his eyes and groaned, his head dropping into your chest, shoulders shaking as he suppressed a chortle. You laughed and tried to fight his grip a little more, to no avail.

“sorry, I shouldn't make jokes.” you smirked.

“nah… it's perfectly fine…” he said, nuzzling his face into your breasts. “If you can't laugh with someone at times like these, you probably shouldn't be ‘boning’ them in the first place.” he snickered and lightly bit the top of one of your breasts. You hissed slightly with a smile.

“besides… that one never gets old. Even after the umptyjillionth time…”  
Sans kept your wrists pinned above your head as the other slid down your stomach and under the hem of your sweatpants, lifting his head to face you.

“now i think i have a basic gist of things… from what i’ve observed in movies n stuff…”  
You almost snickered at him until you felt his hand cup your sex, applying pressure slowly. Your breath hitched and you smiled, grinding into his hand.

“but... don’t be afraid to stop me if--”

“Oh my god, dude… Enough talk.” you whimpered, rolling yourself against his hand. The ridges of his fingers felt amazing through your panties. Sans blushed a bit and moved his hand in circles. Your back arched a bit, making him smile and pin your hands down harder, moving faster. You laughed and moaned, biting your lip.

It wasn’t long before you were soaked through your underwear. Sans’ hand moved up and down in longer strokes, grabbing your ass with a playful growl before removing his hand and running it over your bra. He reached behind you, but there was no clasp, being a sports bra. You looked at him pitifully, shaking your head. He grinned and his eye flashed, your bra suddenly flashing blue as well and snapping in half, exposing everything. Before you had a second to think, that otherworldly sensation made its way from your navel to your sternum as Sans slowly ran his tongue from the base of your breast to your nipple before gently clamping down. His mouth covered most of your breast as his tongue went insane. You almost jolted with the sudden extreme about of pleasure, arching back more and gasping with a loud moan. He wrapped an arm around you as you arched, holding you against his mouth and releasing your wrists.  
You instinctively grabbed his head as he gently flicked his tongue for a moment or two before pulling away, a trail of bright blue saliva stringing from his tongue. It looked like he had just busted a glow stick all over you. Too hot and bothered to geek out about how cool that was, you pulled his forehead to yours while he lifted you to straddle him again.

Your lips were so close, it was exhilarating. You held each other tightly hungrily, running your hands over your bodies.

You tugged at his shirt and he slid it off, throwing it to the side before nuzzling into the crook of your neck and moaning softly, holding your close and feeling your skin against him.

“fuuuck… you’re so soft…” he hummed, his phalanges digging into your back. You smiled and chuckled, shifting to kneel between his legs. Now it was your turn.

You looked up at him, mouth hovering over his sternum as you kissed it softly. Sans’ head fell back as he moaned, gripping the couch cushion. Looks like you found a good spot.

You ran your tongue from the bottom to the top, his eye flashing as he gritted his teeth. He cursed and looked down at you with the most innocent face you think you’ve ever seen him make. You loved faces like that, faces you could just obliterate with a good time.

He seemed to react well to having his spine touched before, so you wrapped your fingers around his lumbar and stroked slowly while you continued with his sternum. He moaned a little louder, gripping the cushions so hard they were beginning to unravel. He began to tremble, making you wonder if he was holding back. For some reason, you found the thought of provoking him enticing.

“What are you thinking about…?” you said breathily against him.

“r-really…? you really juhh--aahh~! just asked me that? sh-shit…” he stammered as you curled your tongue around one of his ribs. He gripped your hair and coaxed you to look up at him. His eyes were far more intense now, a rush of adrenaline flowing through you. Do you dare?  
Yup.

“What do you want, Sans…?” you said with a sultry smirk.  
Sans looked shocked, his eye flickering, blushing a deeper blue.

“Fucking hell…” he growled low and you were suddenly enveloped in a blue aura, an icy tingly sensation prickling your skin all over. You hovered in the air for a moment, your sweatpants sliding off, before you were slammed against the wall across the room, then shoved upward until your head almost hit the ceiling. Your stomach dropped as gravity set back in, but instead of falling to the floor, Sans appeared underneath you. You backslid until you sat on his shoulders, his arms firmly wrapping around your thighs and setting you in place. He buried his face between your legs, his eyes looking up at you. You were a little intimidated at first but it quickly snapped into excitement.  
Sans bit your panties and shredded them. You’d have to have a talk with him about asking before destroying clothes. You felt his tongue slide between your folds, the pressure on your clit a little extreme, but you figured with a little practice he’d get the hang of it.

“H-Hey… o-oh fuck, calm down. Tha--” you gasped and screamed as his tongue slid into you, somehow longer and thicker, at least it felt like it. You wrestled a bit, your back pressing against the wall, legs tensing against him. He aggressively pressed you back against the wall, moving his tongue faster. You desperately gripped his skull, the pleasure so fast and intense you barely knew how to handle it. Sure you were no virgin, but what the actual fuck was happening to you right now. It was almost overwhelming.

“S-Sans… oh my god, please let me… a-aahh~!”

He looked up with a smug wink.

Oh hell no.

You shoved yourself off of the wall, knocking him off balance and stumbling backward. He still maintained a solid grip on your thighs, his amazing tongue work uninterrupted. He fell back as gracefully as possible, straddling you on his face. You struggled to get off and he laughed against you, the vibrations adding to everything.

Shit, you were getting close… you had to reciprocate somehow or you were going to go insane. You contorted backward, reaching for his shorts. Expecting to just rub his bare pelvis again, you were surprised to see a familiar blue glow emitting from a bulge. You slid a hand under his waistband and found, what felt like, a dick. Sans had a summonable dick. Wha-

Your body jolted when he found ‘the’ spot inside of you. You moaned indecently, gripping his cock and starting to pump. Sans moaned against you, bucking into your hand. You extended yourself further, Sans moving with you, propping his legs to bring his pelvis closer to you. You tugged his shorts down, his erection springing out. It looked like an erotic rave toy and you could NOT wait to play with it. Grabbing hold of it again, you were able to get into an arching position to fit about half in your mouth, using your hand for the rest. It tasted pretty plain, funnily enough. You half expected it to taste like a jolly rancher, but it was more of an organic taste. Sans thrust into your mouth as well. It must have felt good because his tongue slowed, his breath heavier. You both huffed and maintained that position until Sans flipped the two of you over, catching yourself on your elbows. Before you could think, Sans adjusted himself behind you, kissing your spine as he slid the head of his cock around your entrance.

“are you okay…” he whispered, his breath on your shoulder as he bit down lightly.

“Yeah…” you smiled, eyes rolling back.  
He thrust into you. You both shouted in passion, his pace a little faster than you were ready for. Arching back and standing on your knees, Sans held your hips keeping pace as your hands draped backward around his neck.

“i’m close…” he huffed. You moaned in response, feeling the build up so close to release.

“Bite me…” you begged. He quickly obliged, chomping down on the nape of your neck. The pain sent you over the edge as you screamed and squirmed in his arms. He was close behind, thrusting faster still until his eye lit up obscenely bright and in a flash all of the magic appendages were gone. You both collapsed on the floor panting heavily.

“H-Holy shit…” you whispered, trying to cover your eyes and stop the room from spinning.

“that... was fucking amazing…” Sans laughed tiredly, turning over and looking at you with a smirk.

“This is going to be fun…” you laughed, smiling in return. Sans play shoved you and you fell limp, fake crying.

“Ugh… i can’t even move. Move me to the couch…”  
Sans levitated you onto the couch, dropping you lazily.

“Ass.” you giggled.  
You heard snoring as Sans rolled over onto his side. You shook your head with an endearing sigh and welcomed the best nights sleep you’d had in awhile.


	16. Sky's the Limit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More mischief. Time to start this new arrangement off right~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More sin ahead!
> 
> Okay so UPDATE:
> 
> I'm moving on the 9th! I'm also going on vacay for a week in July. As a result i'm having to pick up shifts like crazy. Between that, art commissions, my other fic, and keeping myself sane, this might just be a once-a-week thing for a while. I promise to work as fast as I can. 
> 
> In the mean time: Feel free to peruse my Tumblr! Such-a-Lazybones
> 
> Love you guys and i think about you often~

Your phone buzzed on the coffee table, tugging you back to the world of the living. Patting around and managing to splat against some cold leftover pizza, you scrunched your nose and wiped your hand on the couch, grabbing your phone, not bothering to check the number.

 

“Unh… hello?”

 

“Yes, hello! Is this Miss Carroll?” a chipper woman chirped on the other end.

 

“Um… I am the next of kin of Vivian Carroll, yeah. But that’s not my last name…” you groaned.

 

“Oh! My apologies. I was calling in regards to her last will and testament. You had a few questions that other day and I wanted to address them. Your boyfriend made it clear that you were not to be disturbed, but this is information I must speak with you personally about.”

 

“Yeah…” you said, sitting up and stretching, too tired to even deny what she just said. You were still naked from last night. Sans was nowhere to be found. 

 

“In regards to the property, she left you everything. I just confirmed all of the contracts you signed, so congratulations!  You are now the owner of 27 acres!”

 

“That’s awesome! Thanks!” you half-heartedly replied, walking around and looking for Sans.

 

“Well, I hope you’re hanging in there, hun. Keep your chin up. It doesn’t get easier, but just know you must have been special to her!” the woman said rather routinely. You sighed and muttered an empty goodbye, hanging up.

 

“Sans...?” you called out. Checking your phone, you saw it was 11am. Your flight was leaving in 4 hours. The both of you needed to get ready to go. Running upstairs and calling again, you heard nothing but silence. Whatever, might as well get dressed. You slipped on a knee-high skirt and hooked on a bra, pulling a loose thin shirt over everything. Your hair was swiftly braided into pigtails, the stray strands pinned back by a black headband. Pockets held your essentials, cigarettes, ipod, phone. Good enough.

As you finished packing your duffle bag, you checked your old room and saw that Sans’ bag was already packed and your bed was made. Okay, now you’re starting to get freaked out.

You slung both of them over your shoulders and jogged down the steps, dropping them in shock as the mess from last night was totally clean now. 

 

“Oh-ho-ho-kay, Scary Poppins! Enough of this stupid game.” you called out. “We have to leave soon!”

A sharp tug at your hair and you winced and spun around. Nothing. 

“Fucking-- really, dude!?” 

Tap on your shoulder. You looked back. Nothing.

A smack on your ass. You didn't even bother turning around, facepalming.

 

“Good morning, Sans~!” you chimed sarcastically, walking over to the couch and plopping down, looking at the ceiling.    
Sans appeared beside you, giving you a start. You don't think you’ll ever get used to that. 

 

“morning, homeowner.” he replied, seeming in good spirits. You smirked back.

 

“Take it you slept well?”

 

“ **_breast_ ** sleep i’ve had in eons…” he said, poking your boob. You covered your face and chortled. The both of you looked at eachother with a small smile for a moment.

“sooo... now that it’s yours, what are you gonna do?”

 

“I dunno… sell it maybe?” you sighed. 

 

“really? just like that?”

 

“Sans, I’m a lot of things… but nostalgic isn't one of them.”

 

“but this is like a safe haven. a place to remember her by.”

 

“A reminder. I have other things that do the same job. But this place? It’s a shell. A useless one if I never use it. Might as well let someone else who needs it have a go.” you shrugged and stood up, walking out the front door.

 

“hey... ________? where are you going? we don’t leave for--” Sans stammered as he followed you.

 

“Proving something to you.” 

You walked over to a shed that had old gardening tools, and DIY fixins, along with a mess of cobwebs. Combing through, you found what you were looking for. Grabbing the heavy jug, you started walking towards the woods. Sans followed, curious.

The both of you arrived back at the tree house, standing beside each other.

 

“You know. This is literally my favorite place in the entire world. This spot right here.” you chided. Lifting the jug, you popped the cap off and walked over to the base of the tree, drenching the trunk. Sans watched you carefully.   
Tossing the can aside, you rejoined him and bit a cigarette out of your pack, lighting it. After a silent drag or two, you flicked it onto the tree.   
The flames started at the bottom, then quickly caught the kerosine and in no time, the treehouse was engulfed. You could feel Sans looking at you.

“Now it’s gone. And you know what? I’m still here. I’m still fine. I still have every memory I’ve shared of this place in my head. I don’t need to keep revisiting something over and over again to appreciate what was. It takes away from what I could be doing with my time to improve; to move forward….” you looked back at him.   
“I loved her. She was… the only thing that mattered for a long time. But, even though i buried her yesterday… the truth is I lost her a long time ago. When that happened, I thought about coming back here hundreds of times… I even bought tickets I never ended up using. It wasn’t right. Coming back wouldn’t have solved much. It would have just been torture for me and knowing her… she would have wanted better for me. So, I just tried to help as much as I could from afar and do my best to survive. I didn’t turn out perfect… but I don’t care. The world turns whether you’re ready or not...”

 

The both of you watched the treehouse crackle and fall apart. It didn’t take long for the flames to begin to die out on their own, surrounded by dampness. 

 

“i guess that’s all you can do, huh. just move on.” Sans said softly, as he laced his fingers with yours. A part of you really felt like this was rule breaking… but in this moment... 

It just felt right. 

  
  


One last memory made during your final farewell.

 

Arrangements were made for all of the keepsakes and memorabilia that belonged to you in the house to be picked up by movers, then taken to a storage unit nearby. All of the furniture would be covered and given to the next owners. 

And just like that, it was time to return to life.

  
  
  


\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

**_[#$%^Woop Woop!! Sin Warning~! Woop Woop!^%$#]_ **

  
  
  
  


You tried to answer emails that had piled up while you rode on the jet, but you kept looking up at Sans, who made suggestive faces at you from a side glance. That cheeky bastard. You needed to work. 

Your phone buzzed, his text window popping up above everything else.

 

**[Sans 1:12pm: whacha thinkin bout? ;) ]**

 

You rolled your eyes with a grin, refusing to look up at him.

 

**[Work.]**

 

**[Sans 1:13pm: sounds fun. shame ur busy. figured youd be interested in a rare opportunity]**

 

**[orly]**

 

**[Sans 1:13pm: wanna join the mile high club with me? ;p]**

 

An amused smile crept across your face, though your eyes stayed fixed on your phone.

 

**[Any reason you’re asking me via text?]**

 

**[Sans 1:14pm: the walls have ears]**

 

You looked up at him for a moment with a smirk. He raised a brow and grinned wider.

 

**[Sans 1:14pm: wait a min, then meet me in the bathroom]**

 

**[why can’t you just teleport in there?]**

 

Sans covered his mouth and chortled.

 

**[Sans 1:14pm: ever heard of velocity? remind me to give you a lesson in physics]**

With that, he got up and walked back to the little kitchen. Butterflies tickled your stomach as you looked back at the pilot’s door, making sure he and the co-pilot were occupied. They seemed to be arguing over some sort of political happening. A minute passed and you walked over to the tiny bathroom, opening the door toward the cabin. In one fell swoop, Sans slipped into the stall, whisking you with him and locking the door. You were promptly slammed against it as he buried his face into your neck, the both of you laughing mischievously. 

He slid his hands under your shirt and raked his phalanges down your back, a pleasurable sting following the sharp tips. You gripped the tops of his iliac crests in response, aggressively pulling him against you.

His teeth grazed your shoulder as he almost growled, gripping your sides.

“god, i wanna taste you…”

“I'm guessing there's a specific context to that statement…” you but your lip with a smile. “because nothing stopped you from tasting the shit out of me last night.”

“well… yeah… it's a different context. i don't want it to freak you out.”

“Try me.”

Sans looked up at you with a bashful smirk, blue blush tinting his cheeks. 

“the tissue inside of you is so… delicious. like human food. meat and stuff… except I can taste the life inside of you, or rather, I almost can. It's kind of like tasting an apple peel… wanting to bite into it and really experience it…” his words were shy, but drenched in lust as he stared at your neck and breasts hungrily. 

“So… you _ actually  _ want to eat me?” you snickered.

“n-no…” he looked down timidly. “but… i have this strong urge to taste your ...blood… monsters don't bleed so it's also very… interesting to me.”

You looked at him with a very amused smirk. He was so embarrassed and adorable, and yet the subject was so out of nowhere. Sure, it was a strange request, but nothing you weren't open to. However…

“Well, I'm not sure how we would be able to pull that off without leaving some marks.”

“for now we can hold off. back home i've got some monster stuff that heals minor injuries…” he smiled suggestively.

“Well, then. I guess you’ll just have to be tantalizingly close until then…” you purred, sliding your hand between his legs and watching his expression shift from a pout to a devilish grin. His teeth returned to their position, grazing the skin on your neck, his breath hot. Goosebumps washed over you had he held your closer, a low moan slowly drawing out of him.

“mmmm…. it’s  **_torture_ ** …” he groaned as you giggled teasingly, his tongue sliding from your clavicle to just below your ear. You shivered and accidently hit the wall of the stall, hissing and shaking your hand.

“sorry there isn’t a more spacious place for this magic to happen…” 

“It’s okay.” you smiled. “I’m pretty compact.” You lifted your skirt, raised your knee and wrapped an arm around your ankle, pulling your leg into a full standing split. Sans seemed intoxicated by the mere sight of it. His fingers quickly found their way to your sex, rubbing up and down. He pressed his forehead to yours and bit his lip with a smile. He began to slide his hand underneath your underwear when you felt a slight pinch. His phalanges were a little sharper than you’d expected for that area. As if he head your mind he quickly popped his finger into his mouth and the same material his tongue was formed from coated his two middle fingers.

Your fascination was cut off by his quickly resuming his exploration. You squirmed a little as he moved around, almost as if he were examining you.

“C-can you do that anywhere… a-ah~...” you tried to hold onto your curiosity as sans looked you in the eyes with a grin, studying your reactions to every movement. 

“yeah... a pretty useful trick, doncha think?” he teased, curling his fingers into your g-spot. You suppressed a moan as Sans covered his other hand with his sleeve and cupped it over your mouth. His eyes lit up at the result of that spot and began to move faster. He shushed you with a cheeky grin. You glared at him gripping your ankle and trying to maintain the position, despite your legs going weak. 

Suddenly you both heard a voice outside the door. Both of your froze for a second before you heard the sound of the cabin door closing and another moment of silence. After a sigh of relief, Sans slid his finger out of you and uncovered your mouth. You tried to say something but he caught your jaw with his thumb, holding your mouth open. 

 

“s-stick out your tongue…” he said softly, timidly. “please…”    
  
You did as you were told, lulling your tongue a bit. He slipped the glossy blue fingers into your mouth. As you tasted yourself, you saw his expression brighten, watching the way your tongue curled around his fingers. You closed your lips and gently sucked on them, raising a brow. His breath hitched, blue blush darkening. The tips began to move inside of your mouth, feeling under your tongue and the edges of your gums. It was cute watching his reactions.

While you were entranced by his entrancement, you suddenly felt his other hand pull your underwear aside and the head of his cock start to slide against your entrance. 

You moaned softly against his fingers. He quietly hushed you as he slid inside of you, biting his lip and trying to remain quiet. Your leg started getting tired, the pleasure becoming very distracting. Sans sensed your posture wilting and hooked his arm under the knee of your standing leg, hoisting it over his shoulder. You dropped your other leg and balanced out, draping it over his other shoulder, Sans now the only thing holding your up against the door, his hands firmly on either side of you and your hands clasped behind his neck.

He slammed into you, the both of you quietly panting and huffing, staring at each other intently. All of the foreplay paid off as you felt your climax building. Sans’ breath fluttered, his rhythm becoming off. 

 

“y-you…?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“shhh…”

 

“Fuck you…”

You tried not to laugh. Sans lifted you and leaned you against the tiny sink, his pace quickening. He tried to moan your name but stopped himself, blushing deeper and gripping your side instead, closing his eyes and slamming harder. 

You threw your forearm across your mouth, biting into it as you came. Sans’s rhythm slowed slightly as he trembled, throwing his head back, his eye blazing. The stall flashed and he collapsed on top of you, panting and sweating. 

You smiled and held his skull to your breast. He laughed quietly against you.

“hell yes…” he sighed happily.

“We should start a ‘fuck it’ list…” you giggled. Sans looked up with a smirk.

“and that is…?”

“A list of places to bang, positions to try, toys to use.. You know before one of us backs out.” For some reason saying that made you feel a small sting. Sans must have felt it too, his smile fading for a split second before both of you put on a default grin.

“sounds awesome. lets do it when we get home.” he said, helping you stand and straighten up your hair and clothes. “then we can make the list.” he snickered. You rolled your eyes and cracked the door, inspecting the cabin. Seemed clear.

You went back to your seat first. It took Sans an extra minute or two before he returned to the kitchen and grabbed the both of you some coffees. He handed you one with a wink. You nonchalantly sipped it, pulling your phone out with a smirk.

It was a nice flight. The both of you tried to catch up on some work and shot each other the occasional text.  You fell asleep after a half hour.

 

You could have sworn at some point you felt Sans put a blanket over you and kiss your forehead.

  
  
  
Must have been a dream.


	17. Plot Twist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the grind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have. no excuses.  
> omfg.  
> I'm just soooooo glad this year is almost over. Thanks to everyone who STILL gave me kudos while my life consumed my sanity!!

Rehearsals went off without a hitch. 

Welcome back to reality.

You spent the first few days hitting the ground running. Your rehearsals were faster, more dangerous, and far more enchanting. Mettaton made sure you received all of the gifts that had come from the staff with offerings of condolences and love. There was something inside of you that stirred. Knowing that your colleagues cared at all was touching… you know, when you had a moment to breathe.    
Papyrus was ecstatic to see you and Sans on good terms again, though you barely saw each other. 

….Well, less than you’d like, admittedly.

Every spare moment you had, he was there. Most of the time you were genuinely way too tired to fuck. Though, that didn’t stop him from doing everything in his power to brighten your day further. Sneaking you junk food, foot massages, quick rounds of Mariokart. He offered to teleport the two of you to a hotel more times than you could count, but leaving was too risky. You were constantly bombarded with MettaMeetings, costume details, and your regularly hectic schedule in general.

Any fucking done was definitely a quickie. It made your airplane sex seem like a vacation by comparison. It was nice, sure, but you hated that he might as well be a glorified dildo. You missed the fun. Ugh.

New York missed you. Shows were sold out for the rest of the month. By the end of it you were ecstatic to get back on the jet for a few hours of relaxation with the crew.

“Houston is teeming with glitter and grandeur!” Mettaton mused.

“and extremists…” Sans interjected.

“Ah-Ah! I refuse to let you rain on this parade! We shall make believers of them all!” Mettaton said, pressing an extended finger to Sans’ teeth. He rolled his eyes as you smirked. 

“I CAN’T WAIT TO FINALLY SEE A FARM!” Papyrus said excitedly. 

“i bet you’ll totally have a **_cow_ ** .” Sans winked. As Papyrus groaned, you stood to run to the bathroom. Just before you closed the door, you caught Sans’ sly smirk. 

Houston was like it’s own country. You’ve never seen so many blondes and denim in your life. You felt a little out of place, and that’s saying something considering… well, you know. Sans seemed fidgety. You nudged him as you all waited to pile into the limo. He looked up at you with what you knew was a forced smile. Honestly, when it was fixed like that it was a little creepy.

“what’s shakin, bacon..?” he shrugged.

“You’re the one  _ ‘shakin’ _ in your boots.” you sassed, arching a brow. He sighed and pulled his hood up.

“let’s just say… this  _ ain’t my first rodeo _ here…” he sighed.

“What happened?” It’s been awhile since you’ve seen Sans genuinely this uncomfortable. Should you be worried…?

“...it was a bad time.” he said flatly. Huh. Ominous much? There was a hint of warning in his voice, so you didn't press it.

The city was lovely. 

Surprisingly you didn't see any protests or anything. You had a peaceful drive and setting up the arena went off without a hitch. Everyone seemed perfectly friendly. What was Sans so nervous about?   
  


\--------------------------

Sans paced in his lab.

….well, the space for his lab. He hadn’t set up a damn thing. He was far too distracted. Memories began to flood in.

The screaming crowds. The chanting. The fear…

A loud buzz from his phone broke his grim recollections. He answered, tripping over a box and cursing in the process. 

“yo.” he huffed.

“Sans?” Toriel said softly. Sans sighed with relief.

“hey! h-hey tori…” he cleared his throat.

“Oh, I apologize. Is it an inconvenient time?” 

“no! no... don’t worry, just unpacking. sup?”

“I’m calling on behalf of Frisk. They have decided to accompany Undyne and Alphys to the Houston show.” she said, some subtle worry in her voice.

“huh. ya don’t say…” he said, trying to mask his own growing concern.

“I was hoping you could keep a very close eye on them…” she gently asked.

“‘course, tori. they’ll be pretty grumpy about it, but i’ll be chained to ‘em. scout’s honor.”

They laughed awkwardly, silence falling.   
“hey, don’t worry. kid’s gonna be just fine. there’s been a few protests, but i think humans around this side of the world are coming around. it’ll be okay.” he sweetly assured. Tori sighed, somewhat defeated.

“Alright…”

\-------------------------- 

“FIRST SONG IS ABOUT TO CUT. STARLET, YOUR CUE IS IN 5….4….3…..”

“Got it~!” you chimed over your mic. You waited for the cue. Flood lights washed the stage with glitter and dust, everything going quiet for a moment.   
You walking on stage, your shimmering cowgirl boots jingling as your spurs grazed the dust. A spotlight followed you as you made your way to center stage and struck a pose. 

“HELLO HOUSTON!” you cheered. You’re always wanted to say that.

The crowd went wild. You smirked and took your cowboy hat off, throwing it in the air. A few summoned stars flew at it and caused it to explode into sparks; raining down on the crowd.   
Mettaton began singing, the crowd clapping on tempo as you shot targets, striking poses and dancing along. 

You finally had a moment during intermission to start getting ready. As you began dressing in your next costume, there was a tiny knock at the door. Looking back, you paused. 

_ Sans, no sex during shows… _

“Come in~!” you chimed, leaving your shirt unbuttoned for shits n giggles.    
Frisk opened the door with an excited grin, which turned to a wide-eyed chortle. You gasped and covered up as Sans walked in after them.    
“H-H-Hey! Kid! Oh my god!” you tried to laugh off. “When did you get here!?”

Sans raised a brow bone, Frisk trying not to laugh hysterically. 

“kid just flew in with--”

“WHERE IS THAT SKANK!?” Undyne shouted, pushing through the both of them. You blushed, quickly buttoning when you could before she lifted you into a crushing hug. You groaned, hoping you weren’t just injured. She let you down with a hearty chuckle. Frisk came over and hugged your waist.   
“Good show so far!” she said, slapping your back. You pat Frisk’s head.

“Thanks!” you laughed, looking up at Sans. He still looked tired, hands in the pockets of his lab coat. 

“frisk’s got some important meetings here in a few hours. wanted to surprise you.” he chuckled. Frisk nodded.

“Oh-ho-ho. Big Boss takin care of business, huh?” you said, picking them up. They nodded and hugged around your neck.

“Nothing but a bunch of stuffed shirts talking about how crazy we all are. Right, kid?” Undyne grunted. Sans looked down, his smile becoming fixed. You rocked Frisk a bit, watching him intently. 

“Sounds boring.” you snickered, ticking Frisk’s side. They giggled and slapped your hand away, squirming to get down. Frisk sat at your vanity, getting into your make-up. You smiled amused, but looked back at Sans. Something was up.   
“Are you feeling okay, dude?”

He snapped out of deep thought, looking up at you.

“yeah.” he said flatly.  _ Huh. Okay.  _ “everything workin’ for you?” he said, gesturing to your head.

“Yup. Pretty smooth.” you said, your tone clearly not buying his antics. He began to sweat a little. Undyne looked between the two of you, then cleared her throat.

“Well, come on, kid. We’ve gotta let this cowgirl get ready for the second act.” She chuckled. Frisk turned around in full, poorly done make up. They got down and pat your side as they passed by, taking Undyne’s hand.    
“Alphys is gonna start getting lonely.” she grinned. “Break a leg, Pipsqueak!”   
Sans watched them walk out, blinking for a moment at the abrupt nature before he looked back at you, who had drawn closer in the time he was distracted. You looked pretty nonplussed, his eyes going dark for a moment.

You arched a brow.

“you...uh…” be flushed brightly, trying to find anything to say.

“You look pretty stressed, my dude.” you scoffed. Sans fidgeted. He didn't want you to worry. You suddenly closed in, backing him against the wall. You rest your hand beside his head with a sly smirk.   
“Maybe I can help you with that.”    
Sans swallowed hard as your hand traveled over his shoulder and slipped beneath his shirt, lightly tracing his inner spine.   
“I’ve got 20 minutes until my next cue…” you purred.

“u-uh... “ he stammered, blushing bright blue. He wasn’t reciprocating. What the hell?

“Come ooonnn~! We havent fucked in sooo long for more than like 5 minutes. And here I have a nice loooong break.” you giggled.   
Sans was suddenly on the other side of the room.

“not in the mood.” he cleared his throat, straightening his clothes. You looked over your shoulder with a death glare. Why was he hiding shit from you? Was he mad at you?

“You know what? Fine. Get out.” you scoffed, opening the door. 

“n-no, wait--”

“You’re pissing me off. I thought we were past the whole i’m-so-stoic shit, but I guess you are still under the very false impression that you can get away with treating me this way.” 

You admitted your nerves were amplifying your temper, but whatever. You had a show to do and your patience had run out.

“________, you dont understand, okay. and i wouldnt even know how to try and explain it to you.”

“Get. Out.” you hissed. Sans looked at you with utter heartbreak. He disappeared. You felt bad… then felt worse. Yeah. Something was wrong… but this whole chasing game to get him to talk to you was getting old...

\----------------------------------------------------

**_“Alright! Scarlet, you’re up!”_ **

Cues rang in your earpiece as you prepped to walk out onto the trapeze. You couldn’t shake Sans’ fucking attitude. Fucking FUCK! Focus, god dammit…

You waited…. Then took off, sprinting. Throwing yourself off of the platform and plunging into the crowd, you hooked your grip onto a bar that swung just before you came within a hair of landing in the laps of your adoring public. Everyone clapped and cheered as you flipped and flew through the air skillfully. 

Landing on a hoisted platform, you took your bows, extending your arms lovingly toward your fans. 

Suddenly, your side was struck with something that felt like fire. You screamed and grunted, your hand quickly catching the wound. As you felt warmth rush over your hip, you realized you were bleeding. Another slow moment of shock passed and you heard gunfire. The crowd was screaming and scrambling. You frantically looked up at the suite, watching as Mettaton began jetting around the crowd, trying to calm everyone. Alphys was frantic, Papyrus and Undyne jumped into the crowd, eyes blazing, no doubt hunting for the gunmen.

You felt Sans’ arms wrap around you and the world began to dissolve again. 

Your ass fell hard against the tile floor, sending a jolt of pain up your side. Turning back, Sans was gone. Nurses screamed, shouting for you to get out until they saw the blood. You were helped up and escorted into a spare room. There was so much noise. You tried to ask questions, but you were just yelled over by all of the arguing. They applied a damp pad to your wound and you screamed. 

“She needs to hold still!” the Doctor exclaimed as he rushed in. Before you could protest, a needle was jabbed into your shoulder. And just like that, the world began to go dark.

_ What the actual fuck was happening right now… _

\------------------------------------ 

Sans could hardly think, rushing back to Alphys. Frisk was down. His soul was all but vibrating with fear. Checking their vitals, he sighed. Frisk was alive, thank the fates... He gently cradled them and teleported back to the hospital.    
As they rushed down the hall and into the ER, he called Toriel. 

\-------------------------------------

You woke up laying in a hospital bed, this one much nicer than the one you’d just experienced that chaotic storm in. Sitting up with a grunt, you lifted the neck of your hospital gown to see your side wrapped up in bandages. 

“the bullet barely grazed you.” Sans said, suddenly sitting on the foot of your bed. He stared at you a little unnervingly. ...For a solid few minutes neither of you knew what to say.

“Lucky me.” you cleared your throat, desperately trying to shift the mood. His gaze wandered to your side before he was suddenly standing at your bedside. He hesitantly hugged you close, kissing the top of your head. You blushed, then realized he was shaking. Pushing away, you looked up at him with great concern.

“Sans, what the fuck is going on?”   
He stopped you with a kiss. Okay, your focus, your body, and now your boundaries were being broken one after another… but for some reason you didn't have the heart to stop him. He must have felt your discomfort as he pulled away and pressed his forehead to yours. 

“i-i’m sorry, ______.” he said, his voice shaking. “you... you have no idea what could have just happened.” He hugged your head to his chest.

“No!” you said, squirming out of his arms. “Enough, okay? You’re telling me what’s been bothering you right the fuck now, or I swear to christ I’ll beat it outta you!” you snapped. Sans only smirked, too relieved to get angry. He took a seat on the side of your bed. 

“... last time we came here, a few fanatics attacked the royal family. it wasnt so much an assault, more like a riot… they got caught up in it and we couldnt afford any footage of humans being hurt by us. asgore took a beating. frisk was hospitalized. tori barely got them out in time.”

“Where were you?” you asked without thinking. Sans looked up at you with a sorrow-drenched pout. “Oh… right… sorry…”

“i kept telling myself if i had been there i could have prevented it. but here i am and the outcome is worse…”

“Worse…?”

“....kid’s in a coma. they’re stable… but… yeah...”

**You went pale. Your fists gripped the blanket. Holy shit. Someone’s gonna get shredded for this. **


	18. Who done it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that you've taken a bullet for your friends, it's time to really let this craziness sink in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try and crank these chapters out. They'll be a little shorter, but hey, I don't think you guys will mind, right? ^_^

Its been a full 24 hours.

  
  


You sat at Frisk’s bedside, looking at them coldly.    
Flashbacks to sitting beside Vivian’s deathbed kept shoving their way into your mind.    
This was the reason you hated people.    
Trying to murder a fucking child over their association with progressive ideals.    
What cowards…    
  
You gripped the sling you were required to wear (the doctor insisted it would help you be aware of the need to stay still to let your side heal.) and tapped the chair impatiently. 

It kept repeating in your mind. You were just shot.  _ You. were. just.  _ **_shot._ **

You’ve been in some compromising situations on tours before, but never to this extreme, and certainly not on stage. How long would this cripple you until you would be able to perform again? Jesus fuck, what were you doing thinking of performing  _ when you were just shot _ … let alone thinking about yourself when there was a fucking child in a coma beside you…

You rubbed your head with a long sigh. Toriel must be frantic… poor woman...

Outside, Mettaton and Undyne were arguing. At first it was about who could have possibly done this. He hadn’t received any threats that were out of the ordinary, nor had he heard of any suspicious activity. He was running a diagnostic on Frisk’s server, looking for any clues. There were a few suspects being gathered by intel, and the Japanese embassy was hastily trying to douse the press’ panicked field day.    
Undyne’s temper bellowed about his blatant disregard for the obvious risks they were taking by even choosing this city as a tour location. She went over the entire scenario they had faced during their last visit, decorated with swears and plenty of slurs for filthy humans... She demanded we leave immediately. Then it became a fight about their friendship. You rolled your eyes. Fucking children.    
Papyrus was pleading for everyone to calm down, Alphys was crying. You didn't hear anything from Sans, who was likely observing or on the phone with Toriel. 

 

As much as you’d love to contribute to that shit storm, your head was pounding and your threshold was the tensile strength of a listerine strip at the present time. You’d probably hurt someone’s feelings with minimal effort. Better to just let them hash it out. 

Suddenly, Toriel and Sans appeared in front of you. You jumped and clutched your chest.   
“Fucking hell…” you gasped. 

“sorry. had to avoid… **_that_ ** …” Sans said, nodding toward the door. Toriel didn't even look at you, her focus completely on Frisk. She took their tiny hand in hers and felt their forehead. 

“Have they stirred at all?” she asked softly. It took a moment for you to realize she was talking to you.

“Huh? Um. No. They’ve been out this whole time.” you said, your tone short with strained respect. 

“What was the diagnosis?” she said, placing her hand on Frisk’s chest.

“Doctor said shock and severe blood loss… Surgery was minor.” you sighed, leaning on your palm. Sans seemed to be checking the door as if he were on the lookout. You arched a brow at him.    
A bright red light suddenly filled the room. You looked back at Toriel to see a bright, glowing heart hovering over her hand. Your eyes widened a bit. She got to work, enveloping it with some sort of green magic. 

“Woah…” you whispered. Toriel’s eyes flicked toward you for a moment, before returning to her work. 

“Have you never seen a soul before…?” she asked softly.

“ _ That’s _ a soul?” you said, sounding a little more sarcastic than intended. Toriel nodded. “I… well I knew monsters used the term pretty liberally, but I thought it was just a term for magic or energy or something… not an actual-- like… Just… woah…” You couldn’t keep your eyes off of it. 

“Sans works with your soul frequently, does he not?” she commented. You and Sans shared a glance before he looked back out.

“Sure, but I’ve never actually  **_seen_ ** my soul. I thought it was just a spell and an implant…” you mumbled, continuing to watch with fascination. “What are you doing to it…?”

“I am healing them… It will be enough to wake them, then we can set things right.” she sighed. “Humans do their best with their mechanical methods… I only wish I could have been present. It would have saved Frisk the suffering.”

“So it doesn’t really matter how badly someone get hurt… you can always bring them back to mint with magic?” you asked. Toriel nodded.    
“.... How many times has Frisk almost died…?”

Sans and Toriel looked at you a little sternly. Was that rude to ask?

“Too many…” she said grimly. She finished the spell and slipped Frisk’s soul back in. After a few moments, they began to groan, their eyes fluttering open. “Sans… get Frisk a whiteboard.. Or a pad and pen. Something…”

Sans disappeared.    
Frisk sat up, lifting the blanket to see the bandaged patch over their stomach. They pulled it off, revealing a perfectly pristine tummy. You stared blatantly. Sans reappeared, handing Frisk a small whiteboard and a few markers. His eyes wandered over to you, catching your slack-jawed expression before you bashfully looked away. You didn't want to be rude, but damn, this was all getting really crazy really fast. He smiled and walked over, patting your shoulder. 

“your turn.” he said, looking over at Toriel, who had embraced Frisk tightly. She looked up at Sans with silent disdain. He glared at her, clearing his throat. Frisk pulled away and crossed their arms, giving her an authoritative brow quirk.    
She rolled her eyes and stood, gracefully walking over to you. Involuntarily backing into your chair a bit, you gripped the arm nervously.

“Close your eyes and try to relax.” she calmly instructed. You looked up at Sans, who rubbed your back reassuringly.  _ Holy shit, this is gonna be trippy. _

 

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. There was a familiar tug in your chest, the same  that would occur when Sans would do check-ups. Your entire body washed over with goosebumps as it slipped out, filling the room with your pale yellow glow. You opened your eyes and stared in complete awe. Sans pointed at the iridescent strip that wrapped around it. 

 

“this is the frequency harness for your implant.” he gently explained. You nodded. Toriel’s hand lit up again. 

 

“This may feel a little odd. It will sting at first, but it will not last long…” she said flatly. 

Your expression must have been funny because Frisk chortled. The sudden shock of Toriel’s magic ran through you, causing you to gasp and throw your head back. Your expression must have been lewd because Sans stared at you, blushing. Quickly recomposing yourself, you watch as your soul was enveloped in her magic. It felt like salt was being poured in your wound. Fucking hell it hurts! It only lasted a few minutes, then it began to feel warm and… safe. Huh… nice.

When you opened your eyes, Frisk was staring at you and Sans with an impossibly bratty smirk. They cleared their throat, Sans looking up from staring at your soul. You looked away, trying to keep cool. 

“Sans… do you need to inspect her harness for damages?” Toriel said, impatiently. Sans looked back over and stuttered a bit. 

“yeah. um… sure.” he nodded, crossing to crouch beside her. You noticed that they used some sort of magic to keep your soul hovering a few inches from their hands, passing from one to the other. 

“Is there a reason you can't touch it?” you asked, more so thinking out loud. Toriel blushed wildly, her gaze snapping toward you. Frisk could barely contain their laughter, Sans shooting them as glare.

“thats… a pretty intimate interaction. it's more professional if to refrain from any contact.” he tried to explain.

“Would it hurt me?” you pressed, too fascinated to pick up on his short tone.

“...no.” he said flatly. He looked at you with a warning expression, blushing a little. ….Fine. But you were so asking him once this all calmed down. He looked at the strip around your soul, using flecks of magic to spin it occasionally. It felt funny… like a swirling tingling sensation. He would ask you to take breaths and focus on summoning with mild concentration. 

“s’fine.” he shrugged, walking over and slipping your soul back inside. The two of you shared a very…  _ affectionate _ glance before Toriel coughed deliberately.

She stood and clasped her hands on her lap. 

 

“Now… I feel as though we need to discuss what's happened.” she said calmly, Sans and Frisk exchanging a glance.

“....Alone, if you don't mind.” she coaxed, looking at you. ….rude. Sans pat your shoulder. 

 

“don't worry. it won't be long. besides, they've gone long enough with those shenanigans out there. be a hero and rescue paps for me.” he winked. You sighed… but he was right. You were thankful Toriel was speaking to you at all really… best not to make any waves. Taking off the sling, you stood. You felt amazing, as if nothing had ever happened. Remarkable… turning to Toriel, you pat her shoulder.    


“Thanks. I feel fit as a fiddle now…” she said genuinely. She nodded, seeming unamused, opening the door for you. The arguing stopped for a moment as everyone's attention was suddenly on you.

You cracked your neck and shut the door behind you. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sans turned his attention back his company, meeting a scowl from Toriel and a sly smile from Frisk.

“what.” Sans growled. Toriel huffed and looked at Frisk.

“Do you suspect this was a calculated strike?” she said coldly, choosing to save her concerns for a more appropriate setting.

[Possibly. If you're asking if I've received any direct threats, the answer is no. Not from the last hate group, at least.] Frisk displayed. Sans sat, putting his hands in his pockets.    
[They clearly weren’t professionals, or I’d be dead. How has the search for suspects faired?]

“not good.” Sans sighed. “cops have a few ideas. met and pap were able to round up a few suspicious people... but no one’s come forward. which is weird. last time people fought over credit…” he pondered out loud. Toriel paced.

“Well we must reach some sort of conclusion before long. Frisk must return to Japan at once. The board is worried sick. Chairman Maku is desperately seeking some sort of lead.” she scolded, Frisk and Sans exchanging a tired glance.    
Frisk’s phone buzzed suddenly. They looked down, reading a rather lengthy message. They slowly looked up at Sans, seeming to be trying to piece something together.

[Sans… when’s the last time you’ve been to Mt. Ebbot…?] they signaled. Sans cocked his head. Random…   
  


“s’been a while… like, years. why…?” 

Frisk tossed their phone to Sans, who saw a news article with Mount Ebbot as the thumbnail. 

 

**_"Vandalism and Property Damage in Historical Monster Origin National Park"_ **

 

Photos showed  the gateways that were built to decorate the hole Frisk had fallen into were burned. The cave everyone had surfaced from was spray painted with various slander. Then Sans noticed what may be worth worrying about… All of the spells and seals that had been posted with binding paper strips were torn… or gone altogether. That was the only thing that could contain…. 

 

_ …..Fuck… _

 

“...you don’t think…” he said grimly, looking up. Frisk sat still, thinking. Toriel impatiently looked between them.

“Think what? What’s happened?” she huffed. Sans walked over to Frisk and handed them their phone back.   


“.....i think the princess has been a little lonely… might need to pay her a visit…” Sans tried to explain. It took a few moments for Toriel to connect the dots, her eyes widening. She looked at Frisk who nodded in affirmation. 

[We may need to reassess the state of our security…]

  
“Then we return to Ebbot as soon as possible…” Toriel sighed. Sans swallowed hard. There were a few things he thought he’d never have to face again. Just when things were starting to look up, too...


	19. Reunited and it Feels so Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welp, time to go home on your demanded bed rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~#$*$#~ WOOP WOOP SIN ALERT WOOP WOOP ~#$*$#~

“There will be no negotiation. She is coming with us back to Tokyo.”

 

“How dare you! How dare _all of you!_ She is _MY_ star, do you hear me!? **_MINE!_ ** ”

 

“Mettaton, Monsterkind is indebted to you for all that you have done for us, but her life is in danger. You must allow the authorities to gather more intel before you go parading a beacon of controversy! You are painting a target on her back! Please, think of the state of affairs, for goodness sake!”

 

You cleared your throat, everyone’s gaze snapping toward you. Asgore and Mettaton stood across the room from each other in a power play. Alphys sat on Undyne’s lap; whether it was for Alphys’ comfort or keeping Undyne’s temper in check was unclear. Papyrus was sitting next to you, patting your back occasionally, at a loss as to how to help. They had been arguing like this for hours and you were ready to throw someone out the window or jump your god damn self. Raising your hand, you sarcastically smirked.

 

“Are any of you human?”

 

“No.” Undyne scoffed.

 

“So, it’s safe to assume none of you are my fuckin mom. I have a say in this too.” you growled and stood, crossing your arms.

 

“Do you truly believe you are safe here?” Asgore asked genuinely.

 

“Hell if I know!” you laughed a bit, shrugging. “Are we really just gonna run with our tails between our legs?”

 

“She’s right. What the fuck would hiding her away in Japan really do?” Undyne chimed in.

 

“Well, for starters, the entire world s-saw her get sh-shot…” Alphys said, looking at the floor. She winced, feeling Undyne glare at her for choosing the opposing side here. “I’m j-j-just saying… it’s n-not just the politics… people will start asking questions if sh-she’s suddenly better… we aren’t legally allowed to u-use magic on humans… we’ll all get in trouble…” she sighed. Undyne rubbed her forehead with an exhausted sigh.

 

“Precisely. This is not just about the incident… Please, Mettaton, I implore you. It will only be for a few weeks until the dust settles.” Asgore pleaded.

 

“And what am I to do? _Hmm??_ Refund _millions of dollars_ in tickets? Fire my staff? We’ve **_already_ ** cancelled show dates last month when she had to leave for--!” Mettaton stopped when he met your eyes, staring him down coldly. He realized how awful he was beginning to sound.

 

“Sorry to be such an inconvenience…” you hissed low, turning and walking toward the door.

 

“Scarlet, wait…” Mettaton called after you. “Please!” You opened the door.  
“________!”

 

You stopped and turned around. Everyone looked a little confused. Your name was something you didn't advertise… mainly because it was nobody’s business… but it was a choice that was yours to make. It irritated you when other people used it liberally, and it wasn’t helping your mood at all right now.

 

“Fine. Tell me what you really think I should do here, Boss, because you’re both right.” you sighed, shutting the door and turning to face him.  
“I don’t quit from a fight easily. You can ask Undyne how quick I am to put someone in their place. If I go home, then whoever did this will get what they want. They’ll see us bow down to their threats. I get you want everyone to be safe, but those assholes just **_SHOT_ ** my friend and I. And you want me to just… let them win? That’s not me. That’s not us.” you said sternly   
“But at the same time, Alphys has a point. Everyone saw me get shot. So now I’m supposed to be in recovery for a month. Either way, I’m out of the show. Unless you want to risk the credibility of how severe this is, or reveal that Toriel just broke the law. We either faked this entire fiasco, or you monsters used your devil magic on a human. Tell me how we avoid stirring the pot here…”

 

Everyone was quiet, looking down. Sans and Toriel came out of the room, pushing Frisk in a wheelchair. Undyne and Papyrus rushed over, hugging them tightly and asking them  a million questions about their state. You looked up and met Alphy’s eyes. She sighed and fidgeted.

 

“Even if you st-stayed… we don't kn-know if these people will come back…” she said shyly. “Mettaton, I know how important this is… b-but as her doctor I have to insist…. Just for a few weeks.” she said, nervously looking up.

 

“And as your King, I implore you to consider the grand picture.” Asgore softly asserted. Mettaton looked at Papyrus, who nodded solemnly.

 

The two of you looked at each other. You sighed.

 

“Look, I’ll still be training and holding down the fort… Yeah, you’ll lose an act or two for now, but maybe it’ll give us some time to think of a real retaliation. The show must go on, right?” you said, practically. He stared at you, then groaned, defeated.

“Very well… We’ll play it off as a move for activism. Perhaps you and Frisk could round up a progressive rally of humans to express their outrage. I suppose you’ll have to don your medical garb while in public. That being said, be aware of yourself. Are we clear?” he rambled, projecting your schedule and beginning to clear it, then writing several emails.

 

“That’s a wonderful idea. We will show them we are strong. They will not set back our progress.” Asgore smiled. “The moment we arrive in Los Angeles to refuel, we could hold a press conference. Truly make a statement!” he beamed. Mettaton agreed. The two began to make plans.

 

“...that seems a little risky.” Sans interjected. Frisk shushed him

 

“Yeah, wait, what?” you said, realizing they were trying to shove you in as the poster girl of a movement now. Um… please no.  


  
  
  


Before you knew it, you and Frisk were escorted back to Mettaton’s jet immediately. You both had to pretend to be injured in public from now until your set recovery date, so everything moved as a snails pace, which was rather irritating.   
  
Once you were both on board, you sat in a seat and patiently waited for everyone else. Frisk sat across from you, watching with an eerie smirk that made you feel a little insecure.

The Jet engine started and they shut the door.

 

“Um…” you said, fidgeting. “Where are the others?”  
Frisk signed that it would just be the two of you on this flight. The others would meet up in time. Interesting…   
You pulled out Mettaton’s newest biography and tried to read, but you couldn’t concentrate for the life of you.   
Were you really about to spend… **_months_ ** without a job? Sure, you were still going to be compensated, but you hated just sitting around doing nothing. Not to mention, this whole rally issue was really frying your nerves. Can you just go back to dodging MettaRockets and fucking your boyfriend?

 

 **_FRIEND_ ** _. WHAT THE FUCK._ _FRIEND_ _. SAY IT AGAIN._ **_F-R-I-E-N-D_ ** _._

 

Frisk giggled. You looked up, then realized you must have been blushing.

  
“Yeah yeah, what are you laughing about.” you scoffed, throwing a pillow at them.

 

[What are _you_ thinking about?] they signed with a knowing smirk.

 

“Eh, boring grown-up stuff.” you sighed.

 

[Try me.]

For some reason they were a little.. _intimidating._   


This was going to be a looooong flight...

No matter how you tried to distract them, Frisk always found a way to loop things back to Sans. What was their deal?

 

[You know how you both like puns?] They signed with a cheeky grin.

 

“...Yeah?”

 

[It's pretty cool, right?]

 

“...Yes.” You started to get the feeling they had somehow figured out your little arrangement. Sans is gonna flip… well… maybe Frisk just ships you two and doesn't know anything? Hm…

“You sure seem interested in me and Sansy, huh.” you teased. Frisk shamelessly nodded, with a mischievous brow. You made an exaggerated barf noise, earning a giggle from them.

“Sorry, half squat, coworkers are off limits. I have a code to keep up with.” you casually sighed, praying your attempts to bury this were working. Kids were such blabbermouths… Frisk could blow this whole thing.

“Besides,” you giggled tickling them, “Sans is a massive dork. I'm way too cool for that nerd.”

They giggled, fighting back a little.

 

After the two of you settled down, Frisk fell asleep while you watched a movie. Playing with their hair, you stared, at them. Spending more alone time with them might not be as awesome as you have envisioned in the past… Something about their demeanor changed… or maybe it was always there and you've simply never noticed. A nine years old in charge of the entire political department for monster kind…? Internationally?? You were likely leagues below them. Something about this shift in your life put a pit in your stomach… maybe you just needed to go home and blow off steam… really let this all sink in.

  
  
  


Returning to your apartment was like returning to a haunted room. After everything that just happened, it was pretty surreal. Yet, at the same time, it really did feel like your home… which was new to you.   
… but in a good way.

 

You put all of your medical-wear on the couch and stripped down, thinking it was high time for a long shower.   
Kicking on the water, you stepped in and shut your mind off, focusing on the awesome scent of your soap in your own shower, thank fuck…   
  
Wrapping yourself in a towel, you opened the door, then heard the rustling of groceries in your kitchen. You turned and gasped, seeing Sans putting away some things in your fridge.

 

“What the fuck?” you snapped. Sans looked up and grinned.

 

“oh, hey… give me a sec.” he chuckled. As soon as he closed the fridge, you were suddenly enveloped in an icy blue magic, your soul glowing beneath your chest. You squealed, squirming helplessly in the air. You did not like this.

 

“Sans! Put me down!!” you hissed.

 

“no prob.” he smirked with a dark grin, sending you flying into your bedroom, onto your bed. Your towel fell open. Before you had a moment to protest, he already had your ankle in his grasp, yanking your toward him.

 

“WOAH.” you said, timing out with your hands. “Woah, woah, woah…”

Sans laughed and raised your ankle to his teeth, kissing it, looking at you with a sly smirk.

 

“you really think i’m gonna wait a single second after i could have lost you?” he purred. Your heart raced, his aggression was arousing as fuck, but… there were SO many questions you had and he just kept adding to them! How did he get back? What the fuck did he just do to you?! Was that soul magic? Okay, so what even is a soul?! Does that mean like God is a thing??

Sans began kissing up your leg slowly, earning a nice shiver from you. The questions began to fade… Okay  okay, FINE. One round of the first uninterruptable sex you've had in weeks, then he is in for it…

 

You hooked your foot behind his neck and jerked his skull against your groin. He gasped at the sudden movement, then chuckled, looking up at you.

 

“eagar much..?”

 

“Shut the fuck up and get to work.” you smiled.

 

 

"Yes Ma'am..." - By KinkyKitsune (http://midnight-kinky-kitsune.tumblr.com/ )

 

“yes ma’am…” he purred, his eye glinting. He watched your face as he slid his tongue up your slit slowly. Sans loved to watch you. It was a little eerie, but you'd grown used to it.

He began caressing your clit with a low hum. You laid back, folding your hands behind your head, closing your eyes with a relaxed sigh. He paused for a moment to pop his fingers in his mouth to coat them, before you felt him slide them inside of you. You moaned softy, your arm moving up to grab your headboard. Sans returned to work with his tongue as he curled his fingers inside of you.

 

“F-fuck~!” you gasped, arching back a bit. “Someone's been doing their homework…” you began panting softly, your eyes shutting tight when he suddenly hit the best spot ever.

This was exactly what you needed.

 

Your taste, your scent, your moans… there were no words that could accurately define how satisfying they were to him… He stared at you, not realizing the extent to which he missed you. Sure you were with each other every day, but this… in your bed, in your apartment with nothing and no one to stop you? It was like a blessing. He watched as your stomach contracted, feeling your walls beginning to tighten. He chuckled against you, beginning to move more aggressively.

 

“S-Sans~!! Holy shit!!” you cried out, feeling your orgasm approaching at breakneck speed. You nearly soaked his hand completely as you threw your head back with a lewd scream.

 

“nnn… that's it…” he purred, curling and pressing points inside of you, helping you ride the euphoria. What the fuck, since when was he a boss at head?! You weren't complaining, but Lawd have mercy! You panted helplessly, laughing a little.

 

“Oh... my... god…”

 

 _“miss me?”_ he purred, pulling his fingers out with a sultry grin.

 

“Yeah.” you shrugged sarcastically. “I guess.”

Sans turned and bit your thigh, growling playfully. You squealed and wrestled to get him off.

He yanked your hips to the edge of the bed and flipped you over, kissing up your spine. You snickered, closing your eyes and perking your ass.

“I'm pretty sure you missed me _more_.” you teased. Sans chuckled, running a hand over the curve of your ass with a lust-drenched growl.

 

“look at you, **_ass_ ** umin’ away…” he snickered as you felt his cock slide along your folds. You bent backward until you were looking at him upside down.

 

“Deny it, I dare you…” she smiled brightly. He grinned and kissed your forehead, gently slipping the head up and down your slick slit, flirting with your entrance.

 

“nah... i’m a lousy liar…” he purred, against you, snapping his hips forward and filling you in one smooth movement. You cried out in pleasure, your head falling forward, Sans’ ribs pressing against your back, hit teeth gently moving to gnaw on your shoulder.

“_-______…!” he shuddered, picking up speed until he was absolutely railing you.

 

The two of your fucked for two more hours, trying at least 20 positions, even going so far as to look up new ones on your phone. You laughed and fought over a playlist between positions, arguing that trip-hop was way more errotic than 1980’s rock ballads.

 

You laid in bed beside each other, both propped up on an elbow, smiling at eachother.

 

“I don’t want pizza. I missed Tokyo. I want a full sushi spread.” you stuck your tongue out as you ordered your dinner on your phone.

 

“But I don’t like vegetarian sushi…” he pouted.

 

“You can always go back to eating my pussy, then.” you looked up at him with a sassy smirk. He hit you with a pillow.   
“Fine, fine, geez… I’ll do both.” you conceded. He laughed and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you on top of him.

 

“thanks, doll.” he said softly. Placing the order, you threw your phone on the other side of the bed, looking back at him with a soft smile. He looked at you silently for a moment before the light began to fade, his expression saddening.

 

“Sans, what’s wrong…?” you said, concerned. He seemed to contemplate his words, moving to brush your hair out of your face.

 

“________…” he sighed. “tomorrow… i want to take you somewhere… i want to tell you more about… w-well… me…” he mumbled. You blinked, processing this. Sans never ever spoke about his past without a fight. This was an offer you never thought you’d hear. Should you be worried or honored… for some reason all you sad was:

 

“Like a date…?”  
  
Sans blushed a bit, looking away.

 

“no... not exactly.” he said seriously. “Look,” he sighed, holding you a little closer and looking you dead in the eyes, making sure you absorbed every word.  
“you’re really one of us now… and that comes with some risks. risks which you deserve to have a clear understanding of… i want you to know the truth.”

 

His wording rose some concerns…

 

“Have you been lying to me about anything?”

 

“no! stars, no…” he shook his head. “i just haven’t told you everything… but i have my reasons.”  
He cupped your face in his palm.   
“but i have faith that you are the best possible person to understand everything that’s happened… it’s worth the risk.”

 

“Risk…?”

His smile faded again.

 

“scaring you away…”

 

You had no idea what he meant by that, arching a brow and opening your mouth to let the flood of offense taken and rising questions out, before there was a knock at the door.

 

“that must be the pizza.” he smiled softly and leaned up to kiss your cheek before rolling you off of him and moving to get the door. You watched him walk away, haunted by his words...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MMMMMmmmmmMMMM~!! Good shit.


	20. Origins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans as some splainin to do!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this would be longer, but I wanted to get it out. Love you guys!

Sans ‘classified’ the fuck out of every question you had over dinner. It was maddening. Everyone had become so fucking snappy and vague. You angrily ate your sushi, occasionally glaring at him as the two of you were taking the day to binge watch Yuri on Ice. You weren’t even paying attention…

Toriel had returned when Sans had… some mysterious way he _also_ neglected to explain. As you laid in bed, Sans paced in the living room, talking to her over the phone in japanese. You only picked up every other word. Your japanese had gotten even more rusty after being out of the country for a few months…

You laid down, staring at the ceiling.

 

Scare you off.

 

Huh.

 

Sans came back in and crawled into bed with you. It dawned on you that you’d never really… slept beside each other before… Not since that… uh… night at your old house. Something about it felt a little too real too fast. At the same time… how much longer would things feel normal for you before you were shoved in front of a podium to help smooth over this mess? Might as well enjoy it.

You turned on your side to face him as he laid on his back beside you.

 

“you tired?”

 

“Not really. Sort of hard to sleep when I have an ominous adventure to go on.” you said, nonplussed. He sighed and pulled you up to lay on his ribs.

 

“i know. i’m sorry, but there was no other way to put it. trust me. it’ll be so much easier to understand when you stand in the place where it all happened. besides…” he kissed your forehead. You blushed and huffed, not buying any of this mushy nonsense to cover up his vagueness.   
“it’ll be an adventure. we’re going to get something i left up there.”

Finally, something to elaborate on.

 

“What is it?”

 

“you’ll see…” he said softly, petting your hair as you laid there. Fucking vague ass stupid son of a bitch piece of skeletal ssuuhshsuuh…

 

You fell asleep in no time, listening to the smooth hum of his soul as he scratched your scalp. It was one of your favorite things he did. They should get rid of anesthesia and replace it with phelangical scalp massages.

Sans sighed, leaning his cheek against your forehead and staring at the ceiling. It felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliffside, looking down. Tomorrow was it. He was going to tell you about the resets… He was going to tell you everything. He still didn’t know for sure if Chara was still down there… but if he had to bet money, she was probably walking around in some bratty teenager’s body who thought it was a good idea to wander into a haunted cave. You’d think with how superstitious Japanese culture was, people would be more cautious…  
  
….but just in case.

 

Sans looked over to your backpack… Better safe than sorry. He carefully slipped away from you, making sure you were still asleep, before opening your backpack and taking out the lunchbox full of your heirlooms. He needed something that held immense meaning for this to work. He took your banana necklace that Vivian gave you and clutched it. Looking at the clock, it was only 1am… Tori should still be up.

 

He teleported to Tori’s livingroom. There was some clinking in the kitchen as she washed dishes.

“Well well well…” Flowey chimed. “Here to wrench more emotions?”

Toriel turned around.

 

“Sans?”

 

“hey…” he said, looking down.

 

“Are you having trouble sleeping, dear?” she walked over, touching his shoulder. Sans sighed, hoping this would work.

 

“i... i need a favor…” he handed her your necklace. She stared at it and huffed, returning to the kitchen.  
  
“I refuse to support your foolish decision. She would do just as well with a simple explanation. There is no reason for her to go down there with you.”

 

“no. this is the only way. she can handle it. i know she can… frisk needs their locket in case chara is really out n about. this is the only thing she has that is capable of acting as her protection.” he held it out. “tori... please…”

 

“So what exactly is your plan? Aside from retrieving something that may not even be there?” she asked impatiently, taking the necklace and sighing.

 

“to show her who we really are. to have someone who knows who I can talk to…” he said bluntly. Tori looked up, bitterness lacing her expression. Sans realized his words could have easily been misconstrued…

“i didn’t mean it like that tori… she is smart. she already knows that you and I are different… she's already asking questions.”

 

“Very well....” Toriel sighed, feeling defeated. She took your necklace and began to work.

  
  


\-----------------------

  
  


“How much further?” you asked, casually watching the trees as you passed them on foot. You brought your backpack and some hiking supplies, dressing for the cold weather with jeans, boots, a thick jacket and scarf covering your face. Sans just wore some casual winter wear; no backpack, just his hands in his pockets as he walked with calm intent.

 

“not much.” he sighed.

 

“When do I get to start asking questions?” you said, trying to make light of the ominous mood…

 

“once we find the entrance.”

 

He was eerily stoic. Why did you feel like this was unnecessary drama. Just be straight, dude. Damn…

The two of you finally came to the entrance of a cave. It was covered in police tape. The columns were burned and vandalized with graffiti. Something in the air was somewhat intense. Intimidation wasn’t something you were too familiar with. At least not with places.

Sans wrapped an arm around your waist and turned you toward the cliffside. The view was pretty breathtaking, especially with all of the fir trees peppered among the bare ones.

 

“Wow.” you smiled beneath your scarf.

 

“this is where i stood when i first saw the sun.” he said fondly. “all of us here in a row.”

 

“Well now. That makes this extremely special then, doesn't it?” you said with a corny purr. He looked at you with a smirk.

 

“you’re the first human one of has ever taken back here. so, yeah. kind of a big deal.” he reached into his pockets and pulled out your banana necklace.

 

“...Why did you bring that?”

 

“i need you to wear it while we’re down there. you can’t remove it for any reason.” he said seriously, handing it to you. You looked at him strangely and took it, clasping it around your neck. The charm began to glow a little.

 

“Whoa… wh-what?” you touched it. “What did you do to it?” you said a little concerned.

 

“...let’s just say there might be things down there we left behind… some pretty nasty dark magic…  i’m not sure if it’s safe. this will protect you from anything that might feel a little bitter… so… don’t take it off. even if i ask you to.” he stressed. “come on. i’m excited to show you some of this stuff.” he smiled tiredly and pat your back, guiding you toward the cave.

 

“Am I allowed to ask questions now?” you said, pulling your scarf down to reveal your mildly impatient frown.

 

“....sure.” he said, putting his hands back in his pocket. “ask whatever you want while we walk.”

 

“Okay. Let’s start with, where are we going specifically?”

 

“my old place.”

 

“Why?”

 

“to try and find one of my dad’s old inventions. there used to be a few, but we used them all to try and get out of here.  i’m pretty sure i kept one in a safe place… just in case we ever needed some backup in the event of an emergency…”

 

“What’s it called?” you asked as the two of you entered a throne room completely overtaken by flowers. You looked around at a large chair covered in buttercups, the air thick with the scent.

 

“a save state.” he said, looking back. He seemed oddly casual about all of this.

 

For once you were the one completely in the dark here. You really…. knew _nothing_ about monsters. Honestly, you’ve only known them after their integration had been in place for over a year. This mass population went through a hell you could only imagine. You caught what you could on the news, but now that you had a moment to think about it, you’d never looked into it very deeply. The poor creatures that were trapped in this place for… who knows how long… Even in your Mettaterial, it mostly covered his rise to fame in the human world. It only barely skimmed the time spent in the underground. This was suddenly becoming a little overwhelming.

 

“...Why do I get the feeling that you kissed me in the hospital because it was more than just my life at stake..?”

 

“...it wasn’t just your life.” he said seriously. “It was frisk’s, tori’s, mine… everyone’s.”

 

Was Frisk’s life tied to everyone else’s? You aggressively tried to figure this out on your own, but nothing was adding up.  
The two of you started walking through the catacombs of an abandoned city. There was something so beautifully apocalyptic about it all despite the fact that you kept reminding yourself that this was just a glorified prison.

 

“What sort of dark magic things are down here?” you said, walking a little closer behind him.

 

“that’s a long story…” he sighed. “but we have time.” Sans turned back and held out his hand to take yours. This was all so fucking weird… but you felt better beside him nonetheless.

 

“one day a kid fell down here…”

 

“...Frisk?”

 

“no. this was well before their time. born, even…” he smirked, then any humor began to fade.   
“it was a girl. tori and asgore took her in and raised her as one of their own. she was brilliant. picked up the culture real quick. pops liked her a lot. bein in the underground wasn’t so bad for a while, y’know? now that we had a prince and a princess…”

 

“...A prince? Another human?”

 

“no. they had a son. his name was asriel.”

 

“But… where’s-” You felt a pit in your stomach. That was that flower’s name, right…?

 

“i’m gettin there…” he said grimly. “the kids were around thirteen. suddenly, she got sick. real sick… it took her down quick. she died. asriel was devastated. tori stopped eating. asgore was lost in rage.”

 

Asgore? Was he even capable of rage? Jesus christ…

 

“somethin got into asriel that made him snap. he took her soul and used its power transform into a hyperbeast.  he took her body and walked through the barrier to lay her to rest on the surface. humans saw and thought the worst, attacking him. he was able to make it to the throne room before he passed too, right in front of his parents.”

 

Your heart absolutely shattered for Toriel. Holy shit… this got so fucking heavy so suddenly. There was a part of you that wondered what this had to do with anything, and yet you were eager to learn more just to better understand her… and Asgore. Hell, everyone must have been effected.

 

“asgore declared war. tori disappeared. my dad’s depression got the best of him and he passed away too… everything just… fell apart.”

 

You stopped him, yanking him into a hug, on the verge of tears. Your empathy was being stripped raw here. He tensed up at the sudden movement, but relaxed into the hug. He gently pulled away and brushed your hair from your face. You were speechless.

 

“hey, this was a long time ago.”

 

“S-Still…”

 

“shh, shh… i appreciate it, but we don’t have time.” he said, stroking your cheek with his thumb and turning to continue through the empty city.

“where was i… oh yeah…” he continued as you came to an elevator and stepped inside. It seemed to still be functional and perfectly clean. Something about that freaked you out.

“several kids fell after that. asgore was put to the test. he asked me to pick up where pop left off, but paps was just a kid. little guy needed me more than anyone. so i begged alphys to take it. looking back on it, it was unfair to her… but i did what i had to. ultimately, asgore ended up taking their souls and storing them. in order to break the barrier, we needed seven… so that’s the way it was for a while. we tried to find other ways, but our hands were tied.”

 

The elevator doors opened. You reached a neon lit scene that looked like an H.R.Geiger wet dream… Sans continued to guide you gently through the coolly lit halls.

 

“it would be a few decades before frisk fell in… in that time, everyone was beyond stir crazy… asgore pressured alphys to find some sort of solution. i joined the team again and tried to help her with whatever i could. i poured over my dad’s research and began working on soul based technology. some way to harness the power of the soul. i was able to invent a strip to channel magic into weapons for those of us born without that ability. like the one you have.” he said, looking back and smiling at you as he approached another elevator.

You looked back at the eerie hallway and felt your hair stand on end when you could have sworn you saw a grey, sickly, wide-eyed creature staring at you from around the corner. You shook your head and it was gone. Gripping Sans’ hand a little tighter, you walked closer to him.

 

“meanwhile, al was working on a way to extract determination; tryin to simulate a human soul so we could possibly artificially create a solution to break the barrier. it didnt work. The monster bodies couldn’t handle the concentrated molecular inertia required to maintain physical form with that level of energy… the volunteers were all fused and deformed by the end. so, in a desperate attempt, she tried to inject a flower with what was left.”

 

You continued to pay attention as best you could, while feeling those  eyes on your back. There was something inside of you freaking out and begging for you to say something to Sans, but he likely knew what was down here already. You would be safe as long as he was here. Just relax and listen…

 

“So, you named the flower after Asriel?”

 

“no. the flower **_is_ ** asriel.” he said, opening a door that took you to a… very hot area that seemed to be the center of this mountain.

 

“But… how does that--”

 

“when a monster dies, their essence never really does. they turn to dust and live on in whatever that dust makes contact with. asriel died in the garden… so his essence was trapped inside of the flowers… when alphys brought the flower to life, it was souless. it had all of asriel’s memories… but none of what made _him_ him. it was just this creature that lacked the ability to relate. a sociopathic product of our desperation…” he began to speak as if he blamed himself for it all.

 

“Well… that seems like it could have been worse.” you said in an effort to even try to sympathise…

 

“it was.” he sighed. You crossed a bridge and were suddenly in the catacombs of a cave. It was lovely, despite the ominous atmosphere. Those eyes staring at your back just wouldn’t let up.

“after a while i started noticing things that no one else seemed to… dejavous and stuff. started livin the same three or four days over and over.”

 

And just when you thought shit couldn’t get any heavier...  

 

“i started thinking i was insane. like my dad’s darkness was startin to get to me… i pleaded with everyone to listen to me and to remember, but no one could…. except that flower…” he stopped when the two of you reached a bridge that had collapsed.

You squealed as you felt the blue magic grip your body, gently gliding you over to the other side. As soon as you landed, you looked back to scold him, but he was gone. His hand took yours as he appeared in front of you and continued leading you through this volcanic terrain.

“it wasn’t until i cornered it and started asking questions that i started realizing what was going on. the human soul’s source of magic is it’s determination frequency. that’s how humans can still hold on in dire situations, have premonitions, fight with the will to live; humans have magic too. it’s how we were all sealed down here. they just fell out of practice after a while.”

 

“Sans, this story is all over the place!” she groaned as he stopped at a small shack and started rummaging for something. Was he explaining the dark magic or giving you a physics lesson? Your head was positively swimming...

 

“it’ll all come together, i promise…” he said, pulling out a bag of chips. He offered them to you.

 

“Ew, 4 year old chips?” you scoffed, shaking your head.

 

“suit yourself.” he shrugged and opened the bag, continuing down the path, munching on them.

 

“S-So… So you were living the same days over and over… like a time loop?” you repeated back, trying to absorb everything. “And the only other person who was aware of it was the flower… who is also the prince?”

 

“it wasn’t just aware of it. it was the source. determination is a powerful frequency. combine that with my dad’s save state gadget and you’ve basically achieved immortality.”

 

“Immortality.” you said, nonplussed, stopping just as you’d crossed another bridge and approached another cave entrance. Sans looked back at you, munching a chip.

“Sans… this is a lot.” you stated.

 

“i know, ______.” he sighed. “and, honestly, all of this was on a strict need-to-know basis… and you need to know. you’re one of us now, whether you like it or not.” he reached out for your hand. “but i think you don’t mind so much, do you?”  
You stared at him for a moment before silently resigning and taking his hand again. He smiled softly and put the bag of chips in his pocket.

“so... a ‘save state’ is something my dad invented to try and prevent his experiments from destroying the entire population. fiddling with thermonuclear energy sources is pretty unstable work. so, he would use one right before he’d do something dangerous every time he’d work on high risk projects. it’s like a bookmark in time. you imprint your soul onto the device and after that, in the event of your death, your soul rematerializes at the point in time you ‘saved’ yourself.”

 

“But you said the flower was soulless…?”

 

“that’s what was so confusing. it stole a save state from the lab. each one is only good for one use, but somehow it fused with it. maybe pure determination was enough? who knows. all i knew was this little weed was somehow in control of our world. scenario after scenario… everything from killing everyone to befriending everyone… it didn't make sense, and there was nothing i could do. If i killed it, it would all restart anyway.”

 

“Holy shit, Sans…” You couldn’t even fathom that type of hell…

 

“then, it suddenly stopped. frisk showed up and the flower was suddenly interested in everything that happened to them. i met the kid head on to see what they were all about. it took no time at all for me to register frisk’s abnormally high determination levels. i grabbed a save state and gave it to them. it was like a miracle. as long as the kid was around, the flower had no hold on time anymore. i suspect it was because their determination levels paled in comparison to the kid’s, on top of the power of a human soul.”

 

“So, then Frisk got you guys out…”

 

“eventually…” he sighed. “like most kids when they find new... **_‘pets’_ ** , let’s say, they’ll play with them carelessly for a while before realizing that they’re living creatures. at first it was all just a game. we had fun. the kid was able to make it home on their own. everyone got back to work. then they’d fall down again. everything would reset. over, and over, and over…”

 

A few things Sans had hinted toward in the past slowly began to make sense. Things started coming together… somewhat…

 

“after tryin to confront them about all of this, they didnt really see the problem… this was fun. and honestly, they were the one ultimately in control. all i could do was ask. sometimes i even begged, but it never really sank in. then one day, kid started actin weird. very quiet. they just listened and went through the same routine without a word. next reset, frisk killed us all.”

 

“Frisk… Frisk did _what_ ?” you said, your stomach dropping. You knew there was more to Frisk than what was on the surface. “ **_Our_ ** Frisk?”

Sans nodded.

 

“it kept happening like that for a while. never thought i’d get used to bein gutted…. i was pretty apathetic about it all. After seein paps die for the 100th time, i started gettin numb. it wasnt until the kid got into my lab that i had a proper conversation. but it wasn’t even frisk. apparently the princess never really left…”

 

“How does that--”

 

“frisk was possessed. chara’s spirit had been haunting the underground ever since the day she passed. If i had to guess, her soul was determined with enough of a burdened purpose that it refused to rest and somehow created a projection that existed based on a sole frequency... she just had no vessel… until frisk. we had a long chat, she and i. she was willing to sacrifice frisk if i gave her alphys’ soul. could never really get her to tell me why… but i wasn’t about to do alphys like that. so... we fought on for decades. death, happiness, death… reset after reset…”

 

“...So is **_Chara_ ** still inside of Frisk?” you asked. Things oddly began to connect… well, as much as they could with the world that was just built around you that you had no idea _could_ even exist…

 

“we sealed her down here… and anything else that was a shadow of the past…” He guided you into a cave with a beautiful waterfall. You passed a statue, wondering about the rich history behind all of the wonderful things you walked by…

“that necklace was enchanted with a spell to protect your soul from possession. but i’m not sure she’s even around. all the spells have been broken at the entrance…” he sighed.

 

“... Sans can we please just stop for a second?” you said, everything sinking in and giving you a terrible headache. He stopped in front of a bridge leading to… somewhere cold.

Okay, making a mental check list here:

Your necklace is magic.

To protect you from getting possessed by the ghost of the dead princess.

Who possessed Frisk and made them kill the monsters over and over.

Which was possible via a time lapse device.

Which means Frisk isn't nine years old.

And Sans… had been at this much longer…

They all had…

 

“You okay, _______?”

 

“Sans… How old are you?” you asked point blank. He stared for a moment before sighing.

 

“well… everyone else will tell you im around 52. But they don't remember anything beyond the past six or seven years.”

 

“Then how old are you really?” you said solemnly.

 

“i stopped counting after 200…” he said deadpanned, looking at the ground.

 

200+ years old. You were about to be __.

…...fucking cradle robber.

  


“come on. we have to keep moving.” he said, taking your hand.

You really tried out process everything as he lead you into the remnants for an abandoned snowy town, which,  by now, was nearly buried.

“we’ll stay the night in my old room. i know it's safe in there.”

 

Yeah well. This was about to be a looooong night for him.

 

>   
>    
>    
>    
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOHHHH THE PLOT THICKENS.


	21. Get it Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's get to the point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet. Gonna add another chapter soon, but I wanted to get this moment out.

The abandoned town of Snowdin was probably charming at one point… but now it was a quiet shell, buried in layers of unkept snow. Sans kept clearing a path for you until you reached his old house. Instead of going through the front door, he lead you around to the back of the house, where there was a door to a bunker. 

The staircase lead to a lab, the fluorescents flickering on once the sensors were triggered. For having no inhabitants for a few years, the place was seemingly spotless. No dust, no wear…

“welcome to my hidey hole…” he smirked. You laughed a bit, looking around. There was a large machine covered by a sheet in the corner. Binders were stacked neatly on a desk underneath a bulletin board with notes and photos. Everything else was pretty standard. A counter and sink with cabinets, no doubt full of equipment. Yet, you didn’t notice a bed. Where were you supposed to sleep exactly?

“This where you were a full time nerd?” you sighed, walking up to the bulletin board. 

“this was where i did my private projects. my secret nerd cave.” he smiled, gently resting his hand around your waist. The casual air he was trying to set irritated you a little. He just vomited concepts you didn't even know were feasible all over you a moment ago. How can he just… pretend that’s not a big deal. You carefully removed his hand and took a long, deep, breath, turning and lifting yourself to sit on the desk, facing him. 

“So… This is where you spent your time trying to develop a solution to escape.” you said flatly. 

“um... yeah…” he said, trying to stay calm despite the shift in energy.

“You spent… decad-- ….  **_Centuries_ ** ….. Right here.” you clarified. He looked at you seriously and nodded.   
“...Aaand you didn’t think that was an important factor to tell me before we started sleeping together?”

Sans’ gut began to twist, feeling a bit of deja vu with this reaction…

“... i mean… would you have believed me if i had just told you all of this when we first met?” he mumbled, putting his hands in his pockets and looking down.

“You think there’s really that big of a difference between then and now? I mean, for fucks sake, Sans…” you groaned, running a hand through your hair. “You lost your dad, I knew that. But you lost your dad to  _ depression _ ? Like… suicide?”   
Sans nodded.    
“Okay. Sure. Now, you were a scientist in the underground, fine; you told me that too… But you were aiding in the development of  **_fucking time manipulation??_ ** Do you realize how obsessed humans are with that concept? You’re this… th-this monumental genius fucking time lord and that’s like… I’m really trying to process  _ that _ first and foremost…” you bent forward, holding your head in your hands.

Okay… you weren’t calling him a manipulator and a monster… that was good, right? Sans tried his best to just keep breathing and listening…

“...are you mad at me?” he said softly.

“What? I--” you looked up with a glare. “I… I don’t really know. I mean, I get why you didn’t just… tell me. Yeah, you’re right, I would have probably taken it a little differently. But I’m not too convinced that it would have necessarily been **_better_ ** than… this.” you sighed.    
  


“i’m sorry…”

“Look.” you said, sitting up. “I guess I’m just peeved because… What if I hadn’t been shot, huh? What if we’d never gone to Houston, and you and I carried on for who knows how long…? How long would it have been until I knew who my lover really was?”

Sans blushed, having never heard you call him that before. You blushed in turn at his reaction, tucking your hair behind your ear with a frown.   
“...lover, fuckbuddy, SILF, whatever you wanna call it…” you mumbled with sloppy recovery. He smirked, albeit with a worrisome look, shrugging.

“...i… i don’t know… i guess i--” he stopped, his voice beginning to quiver.

“This is just… so insane.” you leaned back, your head thudding against the wall. “I know you never actually lied to me, Sans… but how am I supposed to feel right now? It’s not just you. Fucking Frisk?? Frisk and Toriel and… just-- oh my god…” you let your arms fall, looking at the ceiling.   
“Is this what you meant by Toriel having a condition?”

He looked down, light blue tears beginning to well with a slight nod.

“Jesus…” you sighed. “So… you and that flower… and Frisk… you’re the only ones who know. Undyne and Al… Asgore and Boss… None of them know…” 

Sans nodded again.

“...Why?”

“b-because…” he said, his voice cracking. “... i thought out of everyone, tori would understand… when i told her she panicked… sure everything turned out okay eventually… but if someone as strong as her could barely handle it, then i wasn’t going to risk mass hysteria…”

“So, you think i’m different than them?” you leaned forward. “Their lives are the ones affected here, not mine! I wasn’t underground caught in a vortex, Sans, they were! Why the fuck would you tell me before them?”

“because I can’t lose you!” he snapped. 

“You won’t lose me, Sans!”

“yes I will, _______!”

“Why would you put our friendship before your entire race!?”

**_“because i love you!!”_ **

…….

**His eyes went dark as you stared at him in shock. **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys should check out some of the fan art that made it to Chapter 19 ;)  
> Gooooood shit~!


	22. Bro.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... where do we go from here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses.  
> Depression got insane and I am seeing a therapist now. I'm so sorry. Thank you for sticking with me. Your comments do truly mean the world to me. Thank you.

 

Sans was frozen in this tense moment that hung by a thread.   
_He said it._ _  
_ _He fucking said it._   
……

  


_You know what? No._ **_No!_ ** _This is how he feels!_

You sat there, white-knuckled as you gripped the desk, your tongue paralyzed.

  


“what!?” he snapped. “you’re really that surprised!?”

 

“S-Sans…” you blushed wildly.

 

“i brought you down here because i can’t lose you, okay!? i can’t, ______…” he took a step toward you.

“i refuse to be dragged back to a time where you’ll look me in the eyes and have no clue who i am! I can’t even stand to th-think about it...”

 

“What are you talking about-”

 

“--because you know me better than anyone! you are something that suddenly had the gaul breathe life back into me! so i refuse, ______! do you hear me!?”

 

He was scaring you a little… _Baby steps, dude._

 

“i **_love_ ** you because you’re not afraid of anything… you’re incredible… you are funny, real, and beyond anything anyone could have ever predicted, when that’s all life has ever been for me, just fucking patterns… ________, i love you the most because you know my pain… s-so when i tell you that i’ll lose you, i’m not fuckin around…”

 

You were silent for a tense moment as he stood right in front of you.

 

“Sans you said it would just reset… so we can just try again--”

 

“you dont know what you’re talking about. you’d go back to a week before we came to the surface… over 4 years ago…” he said, sniffling as tears fell.   
Your face went a little pale… Four years ago you were in one of the darkest places you’d ever been… Sans did not know that girl because she was long gone… You didn't just burn that bridge, you detonated it… the thought of returning to that awful place in time... But you wouldn’t even remember anything. If Sans did, then he would no doubt try to find you. That would be awful. He would be mortified. There was no way he would even recognize you…

“...but, to go after you? i cant even bring myself to _want_ to try this all over again… when i told toriel everything, she said i was disgusting… that i had been manipulating her to fall in love with me... “ he whimpered, wiping his tears.   
“i could never risk that again… i won’t do that… not to you…”

  
Hm… while you could understand both sides, when it came to your personal preference, you really had no idea how your felt about that… being approached by a monster who somehow knew everything about you. All of this was so overwhelming… Okay. Get a grip. Focus.   
  
“Sans…. We’re down here t-to prevent that, right..?” you stumbled, feeling cornered by it all.   
  
“you can't just change the subject like that.” he said, looking up at you and taking your hand. “.... ______, i love you…”   
  
“Stop! J-Just--!” you snapped, retracting your hand and holding your head. Your chest began to burn, that irritating weight beginning to take over. Your voice started to tremble along with your hands.   
“You’ve just completely **_shredded_ ** my scope of reality, okay!? Don’t even think about trying to make this about fucking romance! I n-need space. I need it right the f-fuck now.”   
  
He looked at you, somewhat hurt, but began to see the signs of panic, dousing his own.   
  
“I-I’m sorry…” he said, his voice changing to a softer tone. “_______, come on... “ he tried to talk you down, gently touching your hand. You recoiled, hugging your ribs. He flinched and backed away, trying to speak as gently as possible.   
“you should rest… please…”   
  
He walked over to, what you had assumed was a supply closet, opening the door and revealing two small cot-like  bunk beds.

Making the best attempt you could to ground yourself, you grabbed your pack and quickly claimed the top bunk. You pulled your hood up and turned on your side to face the wall. Sans sighed.

You heard the bottom bunk creak as he got in.

 

“i’m sorry...” He sighed. You couldn't even muster a response. You had to shut down and process all of this.

“we can only rest for a few hours… then we have to start moving again,okay?”  
You were quiet.   
“_______?” he called softly. Your lips refused to move. “....night.”

  


The awkward silence was fucking torture…. But, eventually, you found sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

It was dark. Very dark. So dark it nearly had a thickness to it… a cold, suffocating thickness… you hit a hard surface and found your footing, trying to pat around for any other surfaces to cling to. There was a sudden, gentle hand on your back, pushing you toward a large grotesque machine. There was a cold, slithery voice, speaking in a garbled language you couldn’t understand.   
.

.

.  
Hands… hands all over you. Cold, smooth, fluidly moving hands…

.

.

.

An ice cold breath caressed the back of your neck, just before you were shoved forward.

  
  


 

 

 

You jerked awake with a small gasp to the smell of hot dogs. Sans was cooking something out there. You stared at the doorway, dumbfounded as to what to do… Reminding yourself that you two were supposed to be on a time table, you sighed and got up.

Sans was levitating two hotdogs over a bunsen burner,  lazily leaning on his palm.

 

“Hey…” you said clearing your throat. Sans barely reacted. God, you hated this…

“Look. Right now, we should focus on why we are down here. We can talk about… “ _us”_ … at a later time. Okay?” you said softly.   
He nodded and put your hot dog on a clean petri dish, handing it to you while still staring ahead. You took it and rolled your eyes. This wasn’t going to work. You had to do something to cheer him up or you were going to go insane. Leading him on might make this worse… but if it would fix things for the time being…   
You put your dish down and cupped his cheek, coaxing him to face you. He looked up at you with a purely vulnerable expression that made your stomach twist. This was a bad idea. You gently pulled him into a soft, slow kiss. He whimpered against you, his eyes closing as he relaxed and returned it.   
Pulling away, you tapped your forehead to his with a small, encouraging smile. He smiled sadly and nodded. You both sighed and stood up, the energy finally shifting a bit, thank god. Now to try and move this along…

  
“So… now that I’ve somewhat processed my existential crisis, let’s go over our real mission here, since I’ve been briefed on the basics.” you sighed, sitting on the counter beside him and taking a bite of your hot dog. Your eyes widened as you pulled back and looked at it, an unexpected reaction taking over It was a very strange consistency and seemed to dissolve in your mouth, triggering a tingling sensation similar to Toriel’s magic, but dull… Sans smiled at your reaction and leaned back on his palm, looking at you kindly.   
  
“monster food. it doesn’t go through your system like human stuff. this soul food’s the real deal.” he smirked. You smiled and took another bite. Sans leaned back in the chair, propping his feet up beside you.

“Okay… mission statement: the last save state should be in my dad's old lab. all we have to do is get it, get out, then get everyone together in the same spot so the kid can save, just in case anything goes wrong.”

 

“And by, ‘ _goes wrong_ ’ you mean--”

 

“someone dying, war starting, general catastrophe, y’know?”

 

“So, I’m assuming there are reasons you told me about this princess. Is that because she’s after Frisk?”

 

“hell, if i know. chara is a force to be reckoned with n’ all, but she’s pretty petty. i can’t think of any other reason besides revenge she would have to chase us. i really hate that i can’t predict it, when that’s all i was good for up until we all surfaced. though, after our stroll through memory lane, i don’t think she’s here.”

 

“What makes you so sure?” you said curiously, finishing your snack and feeling much better.

 

“you’d feel something. like a looming pressure. she can’t get in, but she can sure as hell rap on the door.”

You considered telling him about the visions of sickly ghosts and that weird nightmare… but that couldn’t be Chara, right?

 

“Well, yeah. I haven’t really felt anything like that, per say.” you sighed. “But if she _has_ made her way to the surface, that’s dangerous because she can possess anyone, right?”

 

“any _human_ . monsters can put up barriers with their magic that protect their souls from that kind of thing. human souls are kinda there for the taking when it comes to spells. i would need your cooperation to _physically_ extract your soul… but to grip it with a magic hold?” with another icy jolt through you, he lifted you off the counter and placed you on the floor, earning a gasp and very stern frown from you.   
“...thats easy.” he purred, quirking a brow. Grumbling and returning to your feet, you straightened your clothes.

 

“Okay. So she could be anyone on the surface. Do you think she’s the one who attacked us?”

 

“it’s likely. highly probable, even… regardless, if there’s even a chance she’s out there, it’s only a matter of time before she finds us, so we have to be proactive.”

 

“You? Proactive? Please…” you teased. His eye flashed and your body felt that icy jolt, your body sliding across the floor and slamming into the wall. He appeared in front of you with a sly grin, his tongue between his teeth. You blushed slightly and play shoved him.

 

“as much as i’d like to _handle_ that little accusation… we should get going.” he sighed, standing and offering his hand. You took it and stood. Sans ate his hot dog and slid his jacket on. Okay. This was starting to feel a little exciting.   
“you feelin’ okay? implant treating you well?”

 

“Yep.” you said, cracking your neck and facing him.  
  
“good. now. if anything woke up down here, it’ll be trying to get our attention this go round. stay on your guard and be ready to fight if we need to.” he said, pulling his hood up. You did the same, deciding to refrain and just take his word for it.   
  


The two of you surfaced, Sans making a path through the snow. He started heading back the way you came.   
  
“Wait, what’s past the forest?” you asked, looking back toward a pine grove.

 

“more snow and some ruins. honestly, chara liked to hang around the ruins a little too much… so forgive me, but i’m not going back there. just in case.”

You sighed, your curiosity peaked now. There was likely some suppression happening so you could cope, but you were going to save the introspection for the surface.

 

After making your way back to Hotland, you walked into an old lab. It was completely abandoned, dust everywhere, papers scattered. A large box-shaped hole in the wall. Sans activated a creaky elevator, which made very distressing sounds. You already disliked elevators to a small extent, but noisy ones? Hell no. Sans sensed your hands gripping your backpack straps and turned with a smirk.  
  
“What? It’s creepy.” you scoffed.

 

“we could always teleport.” he chuckled, elbowing you slightly. You glared at him. Either way you weren’t a fan. Groaning, you turned and hugged him. He stole a small kiss before you felt the floor drop from under you and reappear in an instant. Okay… it was still awful, but you were getting somewhat used to it. With a shudder, you straightened up and backed away.

The lab had a familiar thick darkness to it… Sans took your hand, causing you to jump slightly.

“spooky, huh.” he smirked. You nodded, swallowing hard and trying to shake the dejavous…


	23. Nice to Meet You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beware...

Sans seemed to know exactly where he was going. You followed close behind. His eye served as a pretty decent flashlight, illuminating the dull painted walls. It was eerily silent. You accidentally tripped over a fake plant that had tipped over, gasping from the sudden contact. You caught yourself quickly and tried not to swear. Sans turned, his irritatingly bright eye looking back at you.    
  
“S-Sorry…” you coughed, trying to get a hold of yourself. You’ve been through perilous situations plenty of times, but this was some horror movie shit. Sans looked forward and took your hand, squeezing it encouragingly. 

“don’t worry. i’m pretty sure i know where to go…” he sighed.

“Pretty sure?” you said suspiciously.

“shut up…” he scoffed with a smirk.

“Why does this place feel so…”

“cold?”

“Nasty.” you shuddered. Sans scoffed, leading you through all sorts of empty rooms. There were claw marks on some of the walls.

“well.. al isolated herself here for a time. i wasn't always there for her when the whole amalgamation disaster would go down. for a few timelines I would just sit it out. she would just keep to herself for fear of people discovering what she’d done. she was a hermit most of the time.” he sighed. 

“Alphys? She's so social, though...” 

“undyne brings it out in her. I’m not a big believer in fate… but those two always managed to get together no matter the timeline.” he said, looking around. “gave me some hope when i felt like givin up sometimes…”

The two of you entered a large room that felt very…  _ off. _ Sans’ eye revealed a huge machine with a large central piece shaped like an animal skull. You felt your hair stand on end, something about it making you irritatingly skittish.

“What… is  **_that_ ** ?”

Sans looked around, walking right toward it. Your hand gripped his a little harder.

“its a determination extraction device…” he said grimly. “this is where we would try to run tests on some of the uh… fallen kids… asgore would bring them here after he defeated them. then, we would process their body, take the soul, store the corpse.”

“...S-Store the corpse?” you managed to say after the disgust settled. You had to keep reminding yourself that at some point they…  _ Asgore _ … was murdering children. And everyone was just rolling with it…   
Sans bit back any retorts. Focus...

“...the save state should be around here somewhere. hidden.” he sighed. He began looking around the machine, letting go of your hand and leaving you to stand in front of it. As his shining eye looked around, it cast shadows; making the colossal structure seem all the more sinister. You heard Sans knock on something and sigh with relief.   
“hey, gimmie a hand here.” he summoned. You walked over and helped him lift a tile from the floor. For a moment, you wondered why he didnt just make it move with magic. The room lit up with a golden star, sitting in the small compartment you’d uncovered. You reached for it, but Sans stopped you. 

“trust me, _______, you don’t wanna be sent back here if you ever bit the dust.” he smirked, with a nervous seriousness behind his expression. He gripped it with his magic and kept it hovering over his hand, his eye returning to normal. The room was properly lit now, revealing all of the screens, operating tables, and chairs. The light didn’t help you feel any better about what used to take place here. It’s not as if human history was absent atrocities… but these were people who you never thought capable of such things. After a moment of silence, you caught Sans watching you. He looked down and cleared his throat, using the save state as a lantern to find your way back.   

 

Once he entered the elevator, you felt compelled to linger for a moment, as if a hand gently gripped your shoulder. Sans saw your odd expression and opened his mouth to ask you what was wrong, when the elevator doors suddenly shut. Your stomach dropped.    
  
“ _ Sans!! _ ” you rushed to the door, pounding your fist against it. You heard him shouting for you from within the walls. Sans could teleport! Why wasn’t he!?    
The room grew frigid. You turned, pressing your back to the doors, trying to remain as calm as you could. You remembered what he said about attacking anything that may have been watching us. Looking around frantically, you tried to keep yourself on guard, ready to fire. Your frequency couldn’t focus if you panicked.    
The thick darkness was disorienting, the ability to recognize depths escaping you rapidly. You became still, just listening for any movement. Whatever it was was about to get sprayed with stars…

Something suddenly slammed their hand to your chest. You coughed, the wind knocked from you. A tugging, ice-cold energy ripped through you as you felt something trying to take your soul. Oh,  **_fuck_ ** no, not today.

You moved to shove the arm away, but found nothing. Just a hand on your chest; a dismembered, bony hand. Struggling, you tugged at it, but it wouldn’t budge. Two more hands jerked your arms up, pinning you.   
  
“ **_Sans!!_ ** ” you barked, desperately trying to summon your stars, your light flickering. A deep voice echoed around you in a language you couldn’t understand. It almost groaned like an electronic recording of steel bars straining, the sound almost screeching with some of the syllables repeating like a glitch. You couldn't calm your heart rate worth a damn. The thought crossed your mind to give the thing your damn soul. You scolded yourself for even considering it. The tug became a painful wrench, earning a scream. In your panicked weakness, your soul popped out, revealing the only other being in the thick darkness. 

The visage of a cracked, white face stared at you with the same pinpricks Sans’ eyes had. It resembled a mask… but you knew it was a face. The face eerily cocked to the side as it drew closer. You began to make out a figure attached to it; a white turtleneck and black coat, which seemed one with the darkness. A hand materialized. You noticed the palms were hollow. It gracefully took your soul and began inspecting it. Enraged, you began to thrash. 

“Hey! Fuck you! Don’t you  **fucking** dare!!” you snapped. It seemed unfazed, mumbling to itself and looking at your soul from different angles. Extending a finger, it moved to touch the edge. You kicked and shouted.

“Don’t touch that! What the FUCK are you doing!? Let me go!!!”

 

In a flash, a beam of light struck the creature, barely missing your soul. You felt the electric zip if the current of energy as it passed, your entire body jolting. You lifted your head, vision blurry for a moment, before making out your soul. Behind it, Sans was in and out of sight, holding the save state with one hand and…. A-and summoning gigantic dragon skulls that shot lazers at that ... _ thing _ . He seemed to hold his own against it. You shook yourself back to focus and looked at your soul, taking a deep breath and silently calling it back. It stirred and began to slowly come toward you.    
Good! Good… come on… faster…

It was nearly there when Sans appeared in front of you. He looked horrifying. His eye blazed, teeth born, looking at you with hatred. Your eyes widened, slowly pressing yourself back against the door. His magic gripped your soul and slammed it back inside of you. You nearly wretched from the vertigo. The hands that had you pinned were disposed of. You fell forward into his arms, dizzy and terrified. 

Pain shot through your hip as the two of you landed from a foot or two off the ground. You turned and immediately hit your head on the trunk of a tree. Rolling the other way with a very loud “FUCK!,” you held your head, curling up into a fetal position with a hiss.

“_______!” Sans called, panicked. “_________!?”

You grunted and sat up, opening your eyes. Your vision focused and you realized you were back in the woods.    
  
**_“________!”_ ** he barked again.

“S-Sans…?” you called, haphazardly. You heard him running. As you turned, he tackled you, holding you tightly. He was shaking like a leaf. It took a moment to shrug off the shock before your were able to return it. 

“_______… holy shit… i’m so s-sorry…” he panted, his voice shaking. Before you knew it, he was kissing you deeply. You gasped and tensed up, wide-eyed. In a jerk reaction, you shoved him off.

“What was that thing!?” you snapped, rage boiling from all the adrenaline. Sans fell back on his arm, looking at you in shock. 

“i… i’m not sure… i’ve o-only ever…. i…” he seemed genuinely at a loss, just staring at you. You wanted to punch him for being vague at a time like this. “m-my dreams… that’s the o-only time i’ve ever… i…” he stammered, then jumped to his feet and grabbed your wrist and pulled you to your feet, leading your through the trees quickly. 

“Sans! Fucking answer me!” you hissed. He flinched and kept moving.    
  
“i dont know!” he shouted. You started running beside him, wrenching your arm from his grip.    
  
“We have to get out of here! Teleport us farther!” you demanded. Sans shook his head.   
  
“t-too dangerous… that thing took you into the void. he could be anywhere in there--”

“He??”

“--it….!  _ i-it…!! _ ” he corrected in a moment of panic. You decided you didn’t feel like pushing while you were running, in all probability, for your life through the woods.    
After you’d reached the train station, you braced on your knees, catching your breath. Sans was trembling, staring at the floor. 

“S-Sans…. Do we need to keep running?” you asked seriously. He shook his head. His hand slid over his skull as he began to sweat… you’d never seen him sweat.   
“...Sans?”

He started to pace, when you noticed something missing…

“Sans…”

“there’s just no way… that couldn’t have possibly…” he mumbled.

“Sans.”

“if that’s possible, could that prove the concept of mult-”

“SANS.” you said, throwing a stick at him.

“WHAT?” he snapped back, eye flashing. You glared back at him.  
  
“Where is the save state?”


	24. Where Do You Turn?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, what now?

You sat with a scowl on the train, gripping your backpack straps tight. Apparently the anger just seethed, because people avoided being anywhere near you.

Okay.

….Okay.

The moment you asked Sans that question, the train arrived. He threw you inside, making everyone around you gasp and stare. Your glare locked onto his, the doors closed. It took everything in you to shove your panic attack down, now that everyone was staring at you while the events of the past 24 hours really began to sink in.

This was all real and you would have to do something about it.

Your slow spiral was interrupted by your phone going off, causing you to jump slightly. You hadn’t realized you were back in an area with service.

“H-Hello?” You answered, not even thinking to see who it was.

 **_“DARLING~!”_ ** Mettaton sang on the other end. You pulled the phone from your ear, realizing the other passengers were staring. Clearing your throat, you turned the volume down and spoke softly.

“Um… h-hey, boss.” You tried to display a more cheerful tone, difficult as it was.

“I’ll be arriving in Tokyo this evening! Are you in your flat?”

“No. I… uh… I was training for a little while. I’m on my way home.” you said, holding your head. You honestly had no idea if what just happened was okay to talk about. For all you knew, Mettaton had no memory of it.

“Training? Oh, do be careful, my dear! You’re supposed to be injured, remember?” he gently scolded. “I’ll want you in my office as soon as I arrive! We have a whole list of items to discuss concerning your next few public appearances.”  
You stifled a groan, remembering your designated duty to speak out against the people who attacked you.

“You got it. Just say the word and i’ll be on my way.” you said, before saying your goodbyes and hanging up. Your head fell back, thudding against the wall.

  
How the hell were you supposed to function by any sort of normal standard with all of this knowledge. Your mind swam with so many conflicting feelings, you began fading into a numb state. The train was no place to process this.   
Once you got home, you threw your pack on the couch and went straight for your liquor, throwing the cap off and taking a shot or two straight from the bottle. Running a hand through your hair, you fell back onto the cushions, staring at the ceiling. How would you ever be able to look Frisk in the eye again…? Let alone Asgore… Alphys… Undyne… Even your own boss was guilty of hunting children.

Now that you were thinking clearly… were you even angry with Sans? Or were you just angry. No one was innocent…

….Hm.

Save for _one_ person...

\----------------------------------------

Toriel served Frisk a sandwich for lunch as they read a book about ancient spells, sitting in the windowsill.   
  
“I wish you would not sit in such plain sights…” she mumbled. Frisk sighed and turned the page. Toriel huffed.   
“I am only asserting the observation that Chara may be out there. Even if Sans is incorrect and she is still sealed away, your adversaries are still hunting you, my child.”

[I’m almost finished.] Frisk signed lazily.

There was a knock at the door.

Both Frisk and Toriel froze. She hugged them to her waist, then lifted them and placed them on the sofa.

“You know where to run.” she stated. Frisk nodded. Toriel readied her hands to summon fire, the spells already resonating in her soul. With a slow, steady breath, she opened the door.

You stood there with a box of donuts and a thermos.

“Oh thank the stars…” Toriel sighed with relief for a moment before looking around you. Her eyes returned to yours with a suspicious leer.

“Where is Sans?”

You opened the box and offered her a pastry. She shook her head. Shrugging, you closed the box.

“I was hoping you could help me figure that out.” you stated. Toriel looked you up and down and stood aside. You walked in and set the donuts on the counter. Frisk ran up to hug you as Toriel locked the door. As Frisk’s little arms wrapped around you, yours raised up in a defensive manner. Toriel quietly observed your reaction while Frisk looked up at you with concern. You awkwardly pat their head and moved them to the side, crossing to the couch and resting your elbows on your knees.

“Frisk… would you mind…?” Toriel asked reverently, making a small ‘shooing’ motion. Frisk looked between the two of you and nodded with suspicion.

[I expect an explanation…] they signed, walking up the stairs.

Toriel sighed and approached you.

“_______… _Where is Sans?_ ” Toriel asked again. “Is he alright?”

“I don’t know. Something attacked us. He went back for the save state.”

“So you were able to find it?” She said quietly, hope in her eyes. She hadn’t told Frisk you had accompanied Sans, for fear of their disapproval. This was Sans’ mess to answer for… but he wasn’t here. “What was it that attacked you? Was it a human?” she crossed to sit beside you.

“No. It wasn't human. It was something from… the void? It all happened so fast.” you sighed, realizing your hands were shaking as you drank from the thermos.

“The void?” Toriel said, taken aback. “What on earth…”

“It...um… It tried to take my soul? Sans and I ran so fast he forgot the save state and went back and it’s been… Jesus, I don’t know. I’m a little in shock. I’m sorry…”  
Toriel realized you were trembling and took the blanket from the back of the couch, resting it on your shoulders. You pulled it over yourself.   
“Thanks…”

“If I know Sans, he always finds a way out of trouble. We should not worry until… well, we will allow ourselves to worry after dusk, hmm?” she said, patting your back. All of the bitterness she may have harbored couldn’t match her maternal instincts seeing someone like this. You flinched a bit at her touch. Concerned, she gave you a look. You sighed apologetically.

“....Sans told me everything.”  
Toriel blinked for a moment and sighed in acceptance, folding her hands in her lap.

“Well, i am sure you have questions.”  
What an understatement. You weren’t sure where to begin…

“He told me about the resets, the different timelines…” you said quietly. “He told me about you two… Asgore… Alphys….A-Asriel…”

Toriel looked down as you mentioned his name.  
“How no one knows but you guys… well, you guys and that flower…”

“Are you drunk?” Toriel asked, smelling the alcohol in the thermos and looking you up and down.

“Look, Toriel, I’m here because you’re the only one, as far as I was told, who stayed true to your standards.”  
There was a tense moment of silence.   
She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when you stood.

“I wanted to apologize.” you began. “You and I have a lot to straighten out… and after this trip, you might be the only one I really feel like I can trust, if that’s not too bold.”

Toriel was at a loss, an apology far from anything that she’d expected.  
“I’m not great at being emotional, hence why I need a little verbal lubrication,” you said, raising your thermos a bit, “but I’d appreciate it if we could start fresh.”

After a moment of reflection, she nodded. You sighed with relief and stood, wrapping yourself in the blanket and slowly pacing.

“Then… firstly, I would ask if you are alright.” she spoke gently.

“No,” you scoffed, half chuckling, “I guess I’m _physically_ intact, but… I don't know, I feel a little deceived? I shouldn’t though, right? It’s not like I deserved to know. That’s what is killing me. Now that I know, I can’t imagine facing them all. When I learned about your son, I-...” you paused. “I don't want to talk about it if it’s too painful for you.”

Toriel raised a dismissive hand.

  
“Please, it’s alright. I have mourned for him and live to protect the children I can as penance. Speak your mind, ________.”

You took a deep breath.

“I… I hate lying. I’m bad at it, so I just generally avoid it.” you said, looking down.

“Are you not a performer?” Toriel sighed.

“Wh-... Well, yeah, but that’s on the stage. That’s in front of millions of people I could give a fuck about. Not someone I love, in my face, asking me what’s wrong, you know?” You sat on the floor and leaned back on the couch taking another swig. “I couldn’t look them in the eye without them knowing…”

“Oh stop being so dramatic, ______.” Toriel said, sitting up. “When Sans revealed these truths to me, I felt the very same. Imagine my surprise when I learned that my own child’s consciousness had far surpassed mine.” she said, leaning forward. “Sans took a very large risk in telling me… and though I was devastated at first… I have come to accept it. I am thankful, in fact. The weight of this was solely on he and Frisk’s shoulders. If telling me played a part in lifting some of that burden, then I am glad for it.”

You swirled the liquid in your thermos and reflected over her words. You hadn’t really stopped to consider that Sans telling you all of this really did mean he trusted you more than anyone…

“Still… It’s like… He could have warned me, I guess.”

“In what way, I wonder?” Toriel laughed. “How would you have prepared someone for news like this?”

You quietly contemplated… Now that you thought back, it all made sense. Why he was so quiet… Why he locked himself away… Honestly, you sort of wanted to do that very thing. It was very relaxing to imagine throwing your phone in the toilet and locking your door, or running away from all of this and never looking back. That was normally what you did when shit got too real anyway… It dawned on you that that thought hadn’t even crossed your mind… which was very _very_ strange for you…

“Not such a simple decision to make, hmm?” Toriel said, patting your head maternally. You shook your head, staring forward.

“I have to go out there tomorrow and act like nothing happened in front of an entire room of press…” you mumbled. “I have to tell them all that we won’t let that attack shake us… but i am…” you hugged your knees.

“Toriel… What should I do…?” you said softly, looking up a her, drunk and exhausted. She looked down at you, sympathy gripping her heart.

“Well… If you’d like me to answer as a Queen; We keep our heads high. You will stand before those who look to you for answers and give them comfort in your confidence. We will not surrender to this threat.” she said, petting your head softly. "But if you would like for me to answer as a friend... You should try and be as understanding as possible toward Sans and Frisk... We are all just doing our best, fighting the threats we face..."

“But we don’t even know what the threat even is… Am I supposed to make something up? I can’t tell them that some random person possessed by--”

The door was blown off of it’s hinges.

You and Toriel were thrown back. Toriel quickly rolled onto her feet, her hands blazing with fire. The room was spinning, all that alcohol not helping your ears ringing. As the world came into focus, you saw Toriel standing in front of a slouching figure…. A man…

“Get out of my home at once…” Toriel growled as she readied a ball of fire.

“Hello, **_mother_ ** …” the man spoke. Toriel’s flames died down for a moment as she stepped back. The man twitched and took a step forward.

“Chara…?” she asked, softly, lowering her stance. She recognized those familiar red eyes staring back at her…

“Chara…” you said under your breath. No fucking way…  
The man took an awkward step forward.

**“ ** _Where… is… Asriel…_** ” he said, his voice laced with venom... **


	25. Well, Howdy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You could cut the tension with a knife.

Mettaton stepped off the plane, taking a deep, wholesome breath.    
“Home sweet home.” he tossed his feather boa around his neck and adjusted his large, wide-brimmed hat. Papyrus carried his suitcase, following close behind. He sighed softly. Mettaton stopped.   
  
“Papy?” he said, arching a brow. Papyrus looked up, seeing his concern. 

“Mettaton, Sans has not attempted to contact me since his return. I feel as though he is upset with me.” Papyrus sighed, looking down. Mettaton rolled his eyes and hugged him.

“Papy, dearest. Sans has been positively itching to return here with Miss Scarlet. Surely you must know he is likely… occupied.”

Papyrus looked at him, blinking. Mettaton arched a suggestive brow, trying to help him connect the dots.

“You know. Taking a trip for two to ‘pound town?’” he coaxed. Papyrus cocked his head.

“POUND TOWN… WHAT SORT OF DISTRICT IS THAT? UNDYNE HAS MENTIONED IT BEFORE I SUPPOSE… IS THAT NOT WHERE YOU TAKE YOUR ENEMIES TO BATTLE?”

Mettaton facepalmed, sighing. 

“My dear. My sweet, sweet, skeleton.” he looked up, shaking his head with a smirk.

“HAS SANS TAKEN HER TO POUND TOWN TO TRAIN? YES! YES OF COURSE! MY BROTHER WOULD BE PREPARING HER TO FACE THE THREAT! HOW UNCHARACTERISTICALLY INTELLEGENT~!” He said, snapping back. Mettaton tried not to burst a circuit as he kept from laughing.   

“Of course.” he chortled. “They very obviously have been… training. I assume they won’t be finished for some time. Best not to disturb them until this evening, hmm?” He put his sunglasses on and rode the limo back to his office. Calling his board, he began preparing your statements.    
  
  


\----------------------------------------

 

“Chara… Y-You…” Toriel stammered.

“Y-Y-Y-You~!” The man mocked, child-like. He laughed and pulled a small gun from his holster. His shirt was torn and covered in blood, a satchel around his waist. Now that your vision began to get steady, you realized he was a cop… Shit. You were being threatened by the pissed off ghost of a thirteen-year-old princess scorned, and she was driving a fucking cop.

He took very clumsy aim at Toriel.

“I won’t ask again. Where is he!?” he snapped.

Toriel was shaking, completely in shock. 

“Asriel is  **_gone_ ** , Chara.” Toriel tried to reason. You recognized his stance as he began to take better aim. In a flash of adrenaline, you jumped up and knocked Toriel down in a clumsy tackle as he took a shot.    
Frisk came running down the stairs, then froze as those red eyes met theirs. 

“Well,  _ hello~ _ , you little cretin…” the man said with a malicious grin. “I bet you would know…” he stumbled toward Frisk, who backed away slowly. Frisk observed Chara’s clumsiness, staggering in such a large form. After a moment, they ran and ducked between the man’s legs, running for the kitchen. He stumbled and fell, aiming and firing again, missing and shattering a picture frame. 

“Frisk!” Toriel frantically called. You scrambled to your feet and jumped the man, grabbing the gun and beginning to wrestle with him. They fired again, hitting the ceiling. After a moment, you were able to pry the gun from their grip. In your focus, your guard lowered as he rolled you over and gripped your throat, straddling your chest and wrestling to pin your other arm. You felt your entire body shock into submission, but fought to keep control with everything you had, shakily pressing the barrel to their head. 

“________, don’t!” Toriel shouted, standing in front of Frisk, who held Asriel defensively. Upon seeing that flower, the man tried to move your arm with more effort. You fired as he was able to pin you, the bullet just grazing his skull. Blood poured from his wound all over your face and chest, his grip tightening on your throat as the other held your arm against the floor.

“Give him to me or she _ dies!! _ ” He snapped. You felt your chest burn as panic gripped you. Flashes of your past were triggered as you began shaking while you struggled, desperately clinging to your sanity. 

“Chara!” the flower called with a wicked grin. “I’m here~!”    
A fire blast threw the man into a wall. You were still frozen on the ground, your body refusing to move as you stared blankly at the ceiling in a panicked spiral. Toriel readied another as she stood closer to you.   
  
“That thing is not my son, you petulant demon…” she hissed. “You will be returned to the underground at once.”

“You don’t even want to catch up?” he laughed, cocking his head. “Years go by and you’re still holding a grudge…”

“I will not warn you again.” She growled. “Let her go…”

“Aw… You think I won’t.” he chuckled, squeezing harder. You coughed, your focus going blurry.   
“It looks as though you’re running out of time, Mother…”

Toriel wavered, then let her fire fizzle out, recomposing herself with a cold demeanor. 

“Chara… Even if I give you the flower… It’s not him. You will not be at peace.”

“Peace!?” he barked. “What makes you think I have any interest in peace!?” he gripped so hard you gagged, your face turning purple. “Have you made your choice~?” he taunted.

She silently let her conflict rage inside of her. If she gave in, she had no idea what Chara’s plans were. If she planted Asriel, he would run rampant and cause devastation. The two of them would surely mean the end of this timeline as they knew it… then it would all disappear. She wouldn’t remember a thing…   
But if Sans knew you’d died… he may want to reset it all himself. At least she may have the chance to reclaim Asriel before Chara left… buy enough time to spare your life. 

“Frisk…” she summoned. Frisk assessed a plan of their own as they handed Toriel the pot.   
“What will you do…” she said grimly. Chara released your throat just enough to let you breathe… Your gasped for air, coughing and gagging. The room spun.  
  
He reached to open the bag. A light shone in the room, a combination of many different colors. They emptied the bag, a dozen souls pouring out. Toriel gasped in disbelief. Frisk’s fists clenched in rage.

“Put Asriel down… NOW.”   
The room came into focus. The man was focused on that flower… In a moment, you reared  back enough to rip an arm from his grasp and thrust your palm into his jaw. He began to wrestle with you again.

You took a shot.   
Before Toriel could recoil, Frisk took the pot back and threw it into the souls.

The body of the cop fell lifeless to the floor, blood pouring from his head wound. Before your could think, you felt something grip your soul… No… Not grip. It was more of a blunt jab, as if someone were trying to puncture it with their hand. Your banana charm lit up like a star. It knocked the wind out of you. The wave left. You saw Frisk begin to struggle, when Toriel screamed. The flower began eating the souls savagely. You moved to stop it, when a surge of white energy thrust you back like an explosion.   
  


Frisk stirred, having been thrown back, landing on the kitchen counter. The rooms were wrecked, the furniture and decor broken and scattered. They could sense You and Toriel were alive. Low HP, but stable enough. Their eyes were locked on the new form standing in the room. They approached it, standing calmly. The goat monster looked over his shoulder, then turned, looking a little dazed. He looked down at Frisk…. then shook his head into focus.

“F-Frisk…?” he said softly. He saw the dead human on the ground… then a human girl… and finally.

“Mom!” He fell to his knees in front of her, picking her up. Frisk observed quietly. 

 

Chara did it. She brought the Prince back from the dead. What were they going to do…?

 

 


	26. Oh, Snap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well you just broke a lot of rules. Now your boss has brought his office to you. Gulp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks you your support. The Underfell version of this should be up soon. I think you'll all really enjoy it. Pretty cool new angles to develop. 
> 
> In the mean time, if you guys are ever bored and want to send me asks about the story or anything really, feel free to hit me up on my tumblr:
> 
> https://such-a-lazybones.tumblr.com/

You twitched as you slept in the hospital bed.

Mettaton stood at your bedside, a long sigh escaping him as he placed a hand on his hip. What a mess. What a colossal conundrum… You weren’t home for more than a day or two, and now you’ve suffered another attack. Frisk explained that you and Sans left together, but refused to say anything about the perpetrator other than they had full intent to kill them all…  
It was an incredulously lucky turn of events. Their only saving grace is that a human took another human’s life here. Had anyone but you pulled that trigger, they would all be under fire on a global scale. Police arrived and identified the attacker. They all found it strange, as he had never openly expressed a distaste for Monsters, nor had any history of mental illness. While Frisk was normally quick to condemn anyone who sought to harm their people, this time they were oddly quiet. Something was afoot here, they could all feel it.

...Not to mention Frisk’s apprehension to discuss the resurrection of the Prince…

Mettaton knew that it took the strength of a few dozen souls to achieve that. Luckily, that fact wasn’t privy to human knowledge. Thank goodness…  
Frisk wouldn’t say where the souls came from… Only that the man who attacked them already had them. If humans were aware of soul magic on a public scale, then this could mean disaster for the monster race. It would be the great war all over again. Only, humans have stopped hiding things as a solution. Now they consider eliminating enemies as a victory. The world was too small to tuck things away anymore. He brushed some hair from your face, observing your unsightly injuries.  
Toriel was still weak, so there was no healing magic available for you until she had her strength restored. Your neck was badly bruised; your face and arm were badly scratched up from being thrown back.

Papyrus was quiet with crippling anxiety. Sans was nowhere to be found. He assumed he would be with you. Frisk claimed they had no idea where he was. No calls, no texts… Papyrus was worried sick.

“I MUST LOOK FOR HIM. PERHAPS HE RETURNED TO MT. EBBOT?”

“Darling, you musn’t shout. She needs to rest.” Mettaton impatiently coaxed. “Sans is perfectly capable of taking care of himself… no matter how strange his absence may seem…” he sighed, unable to take his eyes off of you. While he refused to feel remorse for pulling you from that horrid 3rd rate circus, there was a very foreign twinge of guilt in his circuits for getting you involved in their affairs.

“Besides… The king forbade us from ever returning to that cave. We cannot leave our friends in their time of need, now can we?” he said, trying to distract Papyrus’ frantic concern. Papyrus nodded and paced a bit.

“I must do _something_. Please, tell me what I must do for my friends…” He quietly pleaded. Mettaton sighed and turned to him, holding his shoulders.

“I’m positive they will be starving when they wake up, Papy. Perhaps you should make them something for supper. I also hear cards speed the healing process in humans. Balloons, flowers, candy and the like. Won’t you be my hero and procure those things for our friends?” he said, kissing his cheek.

“Yes! YES, OF COURSE. I SHALL SHOWER HER WITH SUCH TRIBUTE SHE WILL BE HEALED IN SECONDS!” He proclaimed, rushing out of the door. Mettaton grinned at his enthusiasm. It faded as his gaze returned to you. While ratings would go through the roof, considering humans’ love for a good scandal… he wasn’t sure how much more of this you could take.

  


\-----------------------------------------------

  
  


Frisk sat across from Asriel, Toriel resting on a bed between them. Asriel couldn’t stop staring at her. He wore a hospital gown that was a little too small…

[...You’re taller than I remember…] Frisk signed, trying to make light of the tension. Asriel’s eyes flicked back and forth from his mother, to Frisk, to his hands, to Frisk.

“Yeah… I s’pose I am. I don’t know _why_ I look a little… older, I guess? I can’t even remember how old I was last time I…”

[I doubt I need to explain how appearances have lost their indications for the lot of us…] Frisk smirked.

“That’s true… Still freaky, though…” he sighed.

[I know everything is a little chaotic, but we need to discuss how we’re going to explain your being here.]

Asriel sighed, fidgeting with one of his ears. He appeared as an adult; possibly in their late 20’s by human standards. His eyes held the black magic it took to maintain this form. His body was painted with the markings of the god of hyperdeath. He stood and walked over to the mirror above the sink in the hospital suite’s bathroom.

“What would you suggest? I’m still sort of marveling at all of this… I knew human’s had advanced since we were sealed but… this is all still a little much. Even trapped inside that flower, I haven’t seen a lot. Just the views from inside our houses.”

[Yeah… a lot has changed. For the better, in the grand scheme of things.] they sighed. [I feel as though we should tell them a half truth. That you were still trapped. Sans and _______ performed a rescue mission of sorts.]

“Sans… Where is Sans?”

Frisk shrugged.

“________?” he said, looking back at Frisk. “Is that the human girl?”  
Frisk nodded.  
“Oh… Are she and Sans… um…”  
  
[They favor each other, for sure. Whether or not they’re bonded, I’m not certain. But he loves her. That’s obvious.]

“Sans?” Asriel scoffed, looking a little shocked. “With a… a _human_?”

[She’s different.] Frisk signed, leaning back. [You’ll know soon enough, I suppose. Do you remember nothing about her? You seemed very interested in her when she arrived at our housewarming party.]

“Oh… I remember, vaguely. I was never really able to decipher human forms… Just their souls. When it’s the only thing on your mind, you tend to shut out other details.” he said, looking back at Toriel.  
“I remember mom not being too fond of her…”

[That’s been taken care of.] Frisk said, rolling their eyes. [Now… my next question,] Frish sighed and stood, crossing to them.  
[Chara wants you. She’s running around in some human husk, gunning for you. Why do you think that is?]  
Asriel sat, folding his hands in his lap. He thought back to the last time he’d seen her. Her corpse… He remembered her eyes. Even in Frisk’s body, he always knew it was her. But what she wanted? He wasn’t entirely sure. As children, they wanted to break the barrier and free everyone; Then crusade to rule all of monster and human kind. Together.

“I wish I knew...” he lied.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------

 

Your eyes fluttered open. It started with your head… then your arms… and soon your whole body felt like it was burning. Everything hurt… With a groan, you sat up. Mettaton perked up, reaching for a box he’d brought.

“Thank the stars you’re awake. Here, I’ve brought you something.” he said, resting it in your lap.

“B-Boss…?” you croaked, adjusting a bit in your bed. Your mind snapped to the last moment you could remember.  
“Where’s Frisk? Are they okay?” you said, looking around, your voice laced with panic.

“They’re beside their mother. She’s resting as well. We’re waiting on a few of our colleagues to show up and heal her. You know, it’s funny. Healing magic is oddly uncommon amongst monsters. Anyone can create a resurrection confection, but healing on tap?” he smiled, nudging the box in your lap again. “That’s a rare talent.”

You opened it and found a rainbow parfait. It looked like something that belonged in a display case, more than your stomach. You sighed and took a fingerful of the starchy-looking whipped cream and ate it. That familiar stingy tingling sparked all over your wounds, earning a small gasp as your soul lit up a bit.

“Go on. Muscle through. It’s the best we have until the Queen wakes up.”

“Thanks.” you sighed, gritting your teeth as you choked the whole thing down. Soon you felt your energy return. Getting up, you stretched and tried to clear your head. Then it hit you.

 

“Sans.” you said, suddenly looking back at Mettaton. “Where’s Sans?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.” he said, then snatched you by the collar. “ _What_ . **_Happened_ **.” You gasped with confusion.

“What-? _I don’t know!_ We went up the mountain, into the cave, then we were attacked! He went back to fight whatever it was and I haven’t seen him since!” You said, trying to swat his hand off. He gripped tighter.

“ _Do you realize the PR mess I have to clean up right now?_ Do you have **_ANY_ ** idea how frightened Papyrus is!? What were you thinking?” He scolded. You flinched in fear for a moment. You’ve never seen him angry. Frustrated, dedicated, sure… but never like this. His eyes glinted with summoning magic. You felt your chest constrict a little.

“Let me go! I was only doing what I was told!” You said, struggling. Mettaton threw you back against the wall.

“ _Doing as you were told!?_ I explicitly instructed you to lay low! You were not to go into the public without your medical wear, strain yourself, or make a scene! Now the royal family is in critical condition, my lover’s brother is missing, and our diplomacy is hanging by a thread on an international scale!” he barked. Your temper built, tugging for dominance over panic.  
“Speaking of which,” he continued, stalking toward you. “ _You_ … and _Sans_? How long would it have been before you told me about your little affair…?”

You coughed and shakily stood, looking up at him, your eye glinting as you tried to steady your thoughts.

“With respect, _Boss_ , It’s none of your business. He asked me to keep it a secret, so I have been.” you said through gritted teeth. His eyes drilled into you. You were so emotionally drained at this point that you truly had no idea what to think… All you knew was that you were dragged into this clusterfuck, **_not_ ** driving the damn bus, like he seemed to be implying.

“After everything… after all I’ve done to make my place in your community, you’re gonna come at me like I’m trying to fuck over the only family I’ve ever known!?” you said, your eyes welling.

“You are a human.” Mettaton said coldly, resting his hands on his hips. “And when it comes to the survival of _My Empire,_ let alone the survival of _monster kind_ ; You will never be one of us… no matter what everyone else want’s to believe. Even me.” There was something in his voice that held an ironclad defense… You told yourself things were tense… he couldn’t mean that.

But no matter how your tried to spin it, you were just… done. Your hands dropped to your sides and you calmly walked past him. Mettaton turned, watching you leave.

“Where do you think you’re going!?” He snapped.

“I quit.” you said flatly, walking past the nurses. Mettaton was stunned, his eye glinting.

“Wh--! How absurd! You have a contract!!”  
  
“Fuck you, _Ceasar!_ ” you shouted back as you got onto the elevator without looking back and made your way to the lobby.


End file.
